Crisp mornings, layered clothing and pumpkin-flavoured everything – Fall is in the air! Although it doesn’t officially begin until September 23, it only feels natural to start the new season with a trip to the apple orchard.

Friends and I head north on a cool – but sunny – Sunday morning towards Wadell Apples off Hwy 15. Their orchard has quite a few visitors when we arrive in the early afternoon but there’s enough space that it doesn’t feel crowded. After a quick rundown of the types of available apples – MacIntosh, Lobo and a few Redcourt – we are handed a bag that generally holds ten pounds of apples and we’re on our way. They only have bags, so if you prefer a basket – bring your own.

The orchard is pretty small so it doesn’t take any longer than about 30 minutes to pick 11 pounds. At $1 per pound, I leave spending $11. Not bad considering all of the apple treats I’ll be making this week – Apple crisp, apple sauce, apple cider, apple muffins… Speaking of apple crisp, if you’re looking for a good recipe – here’s one!

If you prefer pumpkins, they also have a pumpkin patch in the back!

Note: They have a friendly sign that says “No Munching.” They only have 50% of their crop due to frost this season.

Keep up with Waddell Apples: Check them out on Facebook and Twitter!