Here are some local farms to visit with friends this fall
Apple Valley Orchards loves Lee students and is anticipating a big turnout form the school this year.
Photos by Kenzie Holton
Autumn is here, and many Lee students are ready to be outdoors enjoying the crisp air and plethora of fall-themed activities.
If you're looking for a good place to peruse pumpkins, pick apples, sip cider or generally run wild in a corn maze, visiting a farm might be your best option.
Lee Clarion visited some of the farms in or around the Cleveland area to see which ones you should check out.
Here are three we liked:
Birchland Ocoee Farms
173 Welcome Valley Road
Benton, TN 37307
Website: www.therivermaze.com
According to Chris Stewart, manager of Birchland Ocoee Farms, students have enjoyed spending time on the property. Plus, his business has a special deal for those interested in hosting a bonfire at the farm.
“We offer bonfire areas for a fee of $40. We'll set up the fire, extinguish it, collect the trash, provide the table, etc.,” Stewart said. “But most college students that come to the farm enjoy all of the activities we offer.”
Ocoee Farms will have corn and soybean mazes, a “U-pick” pumpkin patch and the opportunity to feed goats. They can even teach you how to milk cows—a valuable lesson indeed.
Apple Valley Orchards
351 Weese Road SE
Cleveland, TN 37323
Phone: (423) 472-3044
Apple Valley Orchards is an apple orchard, cider mill, bakery and store. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the acres of beautiful scenery or enjoy a hayride through the apple orchard, which consists of about 15,000 trees.
And for LeeU students in need of service hours, the orchard is a great place to lend a helping hand.
Alex McSpadden, owner of Apple Valley Orchards, said he has come across a variety of Lee students while working at the Cleveland Apple Festival, an annual charity event held to raise funds for various local non-profits.
“It's the third weekend in October; we set up a nonprofit to run the Apple Festival—everything we raise from gate proceeds and all of that, we give away to other nonprofits," McSpadden said. "We usually get a lot of volunteers from Lee; it’s a great opportunity for students to get service hours."
The Morris Vineyard & Tennessee Mountainview Winery
346 Union Grove Rd NE
Charleston, TN 37310
Phone: (423) 479-7311
Morris Vineyard & Tennessee Mountainview Winery sits neatly in the foothills of Charleston, Tenn., and boasts spectacular views.
Carolyn Morris, owner of the business, said her customers can pick their own fruit in the vineyard starting the first few weeks of May through the start of October.
“We grow raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, several different varieties of grapes and lots of varieties of muscadines,” said Morris. “We are open all year-round. People like to go out and walk around the vineyard and check the scenery out.”
