Enjoy the simple pleasure of picking your own fruit

October is apple season, and look no further than your own backyard for farm-fresh flavors, u-pick adventures, and the sweet crunch of locally grown apples. From Honeycrisp and Macintosh to Gravenstein and Gala, plus some “Old World” apple varieties, Tualatin Valley orchards, farmers markets and cideries are bursting with crisp, juicy flavor.

Grab freshly picked apples at Oregon Heritage Farms (oregonheritagefarms.com). This family farm grows 12 varieties of apples. While the farm does not offer u-pick, the apples at its farm store are freshly picked and available during apple season. Open Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Want to pick your own? Enjoy the simple pleasure of picking your own fruit straight from the tree at these u-pick farms:

Smith Berry Barn (smithberrybarn.com) grows more than 20 varieties of apples (and six varieties of pears). During weekends in October, Smith Berry Barn also hosts tastings of its small-batch hard apple cider, made with apples grown on the farm. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Located in Beaverton, Bell’s Orchard (bellsorchard.com) offers u-pick apples and pears. The farm grows seven varieties of apples and five varieties of pears. Open Tuesday-Saturday, hours vary.
Sherwood Orchards (sherwoodorchards.com) grows more than 80 varieties of apples (as well as pears and other fruits). Open Monday-Saturday, hours vary.
Bays Family Farm (tricountyfarm.org/listing/bays-family-farm-llc) offers u-pick apples (and pears, as well as stone fruits). Open daily, hours vary.
Mason Hill Orchard (facebook.com/masonhillorchard) is a self-serve apple stand (cash only) filled with ready-picked apples. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you want your apples with a little bite, Tualatin Valley is also home to two cider tasting rooms, which produce a variety of hard ciders made with locally grown apples.

9 Acres Cider Co. (19acres.com) is a hard cider venture from Oregon Heritage Farms. The cider company uses apples from a select 19-acres of the farm’s apple orchard to create premium hard ciders, including seasonal flavors, which are available at its tasting room in the heart of wine country. The tasting room is open Wednesday-Sunday, 12-7 p.m.
Forest Grove’s Bull Run Cider (bullruncider.com) has been producing high-quality hard cider since 2010. Their ciders are made using Old World cider-making traditions to bring an array of flavors and styles to discerning cider drinkers. Bull Run Cider is open daily.

Take a scenic drive through the valley and stop by local farms for fresh-picked apples – perfect for sampling heirloom varieties or to stock up for fall baking. October is the perfect time to experience the taste of fall, right here in Tualatin Valley!

Learn more about things to see and do in Tualatin Valley at tualatinvalley.org.