Orchards near Faribault, MN

Northfield

Fireside Orchard & Gardens grows 27 apple varieties across more than 50 acres east of Northfield on Highway 19, from Honeycrisp and SweeTango to Haralson, Fireside, First Kiss, and Keepsake. Robert Harvey founded the orchard in 1980; the Winfield family bought it in 2022. The retail store sells apples, cheese, and donuts made fresh daily, and the grounds include a rose garden and a picnic gazebo. It's open daily from mid-August through New Year's Eve.

Veseli

The Havlicek family began planting apples in 1984 at this Veseli orchard, whose Czech name Veseli Vrsek means Happy Hill. They now grow 23 apple varieties that ripen August through October, offered pick-your-own or pre-picked on weekends without big-orchard crowds. The farm also sells basswood honey, plums, grapes, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, garlic, and onions, and controls pests with insect traps and a weather monitor rather than heavy spraying.

Farmington

Castle Rock Orchard grows more than 1,350 dwarf apple trees on a trellis system across two acres, three miles south of Farmington and Lakeville on Highway 3. Pick-your-own varieties include Zestar, SweeTango, SnowSweet, Chestnut Crab, and Honeycrisp. The farm also sells pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers, and tomatoes, plus homemade apple butter, jams, and preserves. Reach them at (651) 463-7387.

Farmington

Lakeville

Sixteen apple varieties grow across this 32-acre orchard south of Lakeville, including Honeycrisp, Zestar! and SweeTango, alongside a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Apple picking, weekend hayrides, a hedge maze and a corn pit are free; a jumping pillow, sunflower field and corn maze carry an admission fee. The shop stocks apples, local honey and baked goods. Planted in 1991, the orchard recently changed hands and reopened with revamped fall activities. Reach them at [email protected].

Montgomery

Scott Wardell planted the first apples on an overgrown pasture here in 1999, and the orchard now runs about 2,000 trees across 12 acres with varieties like Honeycrisp, SweeTango, First Kiss and Haralson. It doubles as a licensed Minnesota farm winery, pouring five hard ciders and six wines. Fall weekends add a six-acre corn maze, two miles of hiking trails, hayrides and live music. Open September and October, about 45 minutes south of the Twin Cities.

Cedar Lake

Thompsons' Hillcrest Orchard, founded in 1996, grows more than 1,800 trees and 13 apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, SweeTango, and First Kiss, along 250th Street East in the Cedar Lake/Elko area of Scott County. Beyond pick-your-own and pre-picked apples, it runs a corn maze and sells pumpkins and gourds plus apple pies, jams, jellies, and caramel apples. It's a family operation south of the Twin Cities.

Webster

Webster

Mike and Gretchen Perbix took over this Webster orchard in 2010 and grow 99 apple varieties, from Honeycrisp to Golden Russet and Northern Spy. They press fresh cider on site and run a cidery making nine hard ciders that range from dry to sweet, including a single-varietal Northern Spy and a Cherry Rhubarb Scrumpy. The orchard opens weekends in September and October with apples, baked goods, and cidery and orchard tours.