Another brisk morning and a glorious clear blue September day. More collecting for the Common Ground Fair display at Lane Road Orchard in New Sharon and Sandy River Orchard in Mercer. The two orchards are only a few miles apart, one in Franklin County and the other in Somerset County. Both have a wide selection of unusual varieties. They’re quiet, idyllic spots with interesting apples—both definitely worth the visit.
John and his nephew Cameron, September 22, 2026
In the afternoon I convinced my nephew Cameron who was visiting from NC to help collect apples at our Finley Lane Orchard. It was his first time up here in a number of years. He’s not an apple guy but was a very good sport. (He carried the pole picker which made him feel important.) He tasted bitter sweets and bitter sharps and even some pretty nasty-flavored apples that we generally only reserve for the true diehards. His favorite? Radar Love, another red-fleshed Frostbite seedling that originated here and was named after our beloved dog, Radar. I haven’t DNA profiled Radar Love yet, but it has promise as a good dessert cultivar.
It was a productive day and great to have Cameron along, although we spent as much time laughing as we did picking. No count yet, but we probably collected another 100+ varieties for the Common Ground Fair display.