Apple Hill's Fun Approach to Organic

Fall has arrived which means Apple Hill is open and ready for business. Apple Hill is about an hour drive from downtown Sacramento. We make our yearly visit to Apple Hill, just as my fiance has done since he was a child. His family has been going for over 30 years so we never miss a season.

Their family tradition is to visit High Hill Ranch, so even though they are not certified organic, we still make a yearly visit since we like supporting local agriculture. High Hill ranch is one of the bigger farms in Apple Hill and today there must have been at least 300 visitors. It was 97 degrees in El Dorado County today (according to the sign at El Dorado Savings Bank in Placerville), the home of Apple Hill, so everyone was out enjoying the California sunshine.

High Hill Ranch features multiple bakeshops (I am admitting here that I am totally addicted to their apple donuts-we bought a dozen today), indoor and outdoor dining, an apple barn shop, craft booths, hay rides, apple wine and beer tasting, trout fishing and more. We love visiting this ranch because it never changes a bit, and it is dog-friendly so we bring our furry friend to enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Our next stop was Honey Bear Ranch, one of two organic ranches that are open to the public. Honey Bear Ranch is family-owned and operated and only about a five minute drive from High Hill Ranch. Apple Hill features over 50 farms so it is fun to cruise the twisty backroads and find your favorite, we were excited to try a new one today.

Honey Bear Ranch has shaded picnic grounds, an organic produce market featuring many varieties of apples, pears and other fresh local produce, bakery, fudge kitchen, craft fair and more. I was intrigued by the chicken strudel lunch special, served with salad, a drink and a big fresh slice of...you guessed it...apple pie.

I had to check out the bake shop before I left. There were apple sauce cookies, apple walnut cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings and apple cheesecake. They also feature homemade apple jam and apple butter along with various other apple delicacies.

Honey Bear Ranch is less crowded than High Hill Ranch and definitely caters to families. It is a perfect spot to get away from the crowds, enjoy a leisurely lunch under the shady apple trees, watch the coy fish and sample some of the organic goods. I was so happy to find an organic apple purveyor in Apple Hill that is as much fun as it is good for our environment.

Honey Bear Ranch is open weekends and Wednesdays from August 25-November, 10:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M.

Honey Bear Ranch
Apple Hill Grower #24
2826 Barkley Rd.
Camino, CA

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2008 Cider Press: The Official Guide to Apple Hill
Send $2.00 to:
P. O. Box 494
Camino, CA 95709