Harvest time in the Shenandoah

Find the season's bounty along this apple trail.

She looks so earnest, you can't help but smile.

A little girl, no more than 6 years old, picks up a small pumpkin and adds it to a growing pile. Hands on hips, she studies the situation until she's convinced she has chosen the finest. Gathering the collection of orange orbs in her short, skinny arms, she runs toward the checkout at Hill High Farm, weaving, bobbing, and juggling her cumbersome load.

Such are the pleasures of autumn, and few places are more blessed with these delights than Winchester, Virginia. Located on the western edge of the Shenandoah Valley, this small Virginia town boasts an abundance of apple orchards. In the fall, many of the family-owned farms welcome visitors to revel in the tastes of the season. They even offer maps for an apple trail and an audio driving tour to make it easy for their guests.

Among the orchards on the Winchester apple trail, you'll find Hill High Farm. To get to the collection of old red barns, you travel down a dusty gravel road, past rolling fields lined with twisted, gnarled apple trees. Piles of pumpkins and baskets of apples color the picturesque canvas with fall's most brilliant colors.

An old packing shed invites visitors to buy Indian corn, chrysanthemums, corn shucks-most anything you'd need to add a touch of fall to your home. Inside you'll find the tastiest selections. There's cider, pumpkin fudge, and homemade pies and cakes.

Today at Hill High Farm, two school buses sit in the parking lot, but, curiously, there are no squeals of delight to give away the location of the first graders from Quarles Elementary. Instead, they sit quietly at picnic tables, listening to owner Wendy Wright tell about life on the farm.

"One of the big reasons we do this is that we want the children and the adults to learn a little bit about agriculture," says Wendy, whose husband's family has farmed here for more than 100 years. "When they get to the farm, most of the kids don't even know that apples grow on trees."

Amy Rogers, one of the first-grade teachers participating in the field trip, agrees. This is more than just a fun outing for the kids. It's an important learning tool. Each child selects apples and a pumpkin to take back. But before they become jack-o'-lanterns, the pumpkins will be weighed, measured, and thoroughly examined as part of the school's math and science curriculum. Some of the apples are destined for the same treatment.

Of course, the day is not totally dedicated to formal learning. As soon as Mrs. Rogers gives the okay, the kids scatter. Soon they're navigating the maze of hay bales, climbing on antique tractors, and petting the farm animals. "Hey, Mrs. Rogers! Watch me!" The shouts come from every corner.

"It's just fun to be outside all day on a farm," Amy says as she watches a student pretend to drive an old red tractor. "I think it's healthy."

CASSANDRA M. VANHOOSER

For more information: Winchester-- Frederick County Convention & Visitor Center, 1360 Pleasant Valley Road, Winchester, VA 22601; (540) 662-- 4135, 1-800-662-1360, or www.visit winchesterva.com. For a copy of the 2002 Farm Tour Brochure, or to purchase the audio driving tour, stop by the visitors center.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2002
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