Jenkins - Lueken Orchards — Attraction in Town of Gardiner

I don't know about the experiences that others have written about here, but my experience apple picking here was horrible. Maybe it's because I came during the week, rather than on a weekend, but only the "small orchard" was open, I was told. This small orchard consisted of none of the beautiful views that others have written about, but instead offered a view only of a dumpster full of garbage, stacked pallets, and gasoline cans.

Furthermore, there were only three varieties of apple available here, and about half of them were literally rotten and oozing right on the trees. Granted, any orchard will have SOME rotten ones on the trees, but this was at least half, probably more.

To make sure to add insult to injury, I was charged $30 for the smallest pick-your-own bag that they offer. $30 for an experience as lousy as this?! Any of the nearby area farms charge between $20 and $25 for the same size, with greater variety, better views, and no dumpsters.

Please, don't rob yourself of what is supposed to be a fun Fall activity by going here. Look instead into ANY of the other farms...

Man, this place is what people like Fall for. It’s perfect. They got those apples, they got those donuts, they got rows and rows of trees full of tasty stuff. But also, they are the nicest people in the Hudson Valley. I was doing some basic b stuff, you know, taking pictures of apple trees for Instagram, and I lost my phone. Who knows how it happened. I mean, I was just walking around with a phone one minute and then before you know it, I got no phone at all. I walked around looking for it, but it’s a big orchard. I gave up and went to the front and told the staff what happened and left them my boyfriend’s number just in case someone turned it in. And someone did find it and turn it in, and then Caitlin mailed it to me and when I tried to pay them for the shipping, they said don’t even worry about it. Holy smokes, right? Now all these apples I picked there taste even better, because every time I eat one I think, “damn, those are good people that grew these apples.”

So go there. When you want some apples, go there. And if you’re prone to losing things, go there....

This is where I buy apples when they're in season. They grow a great selection of different varieties, and can tell you which ones are best for fresh eating, for cooking, and for storing. You can buy bags or boxes, or can pick them yourself in the orchard across the road from the store. In addition to their great apples, they have peaches and plums and other fruits and veggies in season, jams, honey, and snacks, and a couple of freezer and refrigerator cases where you can find a small but very useful selection of milk, cheese, butter, eggs, local grass-fed beef, and other meats. They do some seriously good baking on-site, too: apple cake, pies, brownies. And I hesitate to mention, because they always sell out and I want to be able to buy it myself: fantastic fresh-baked bread. If you get a loaf while it's still hot, get some butter right then and there and eat it...