Our family has been making an annual pilgrimage to Carlson's orchard for YEARS for apple picking. We've tried other orchards for one reason or another, but not one of them has the courteous staff, the beautiful setting, the quality apples, the related items (cider, pumpkins, APPLE CRISP) and the all-over wonderful friendly family atmosphere that Carlson's always provides. Always. Well. Just when you thought things couldn't get any better: Carlson's has built a beautiful, open cider barn where you can get off your feet after all that tiring apple picking (kidding) and order up some food and drink. SO many flavors of cider, and they offer flights to try different kinds. (Hmmmmm. They are all good. Subtle differences. Yummy). Anyway the experience was just delightful and enhanced our already-positive appreciation of Carlson's. And the servers? One especially, named Shayna, was so helpful, so courteous, so friendly, and very very well informed. She was a joy. Hope she is our server when we return! Five stars - for her and the orchard and new barn! read more

I had a fantastic time at Carlson Orchards yesterday. For one, the free cider on a freeeeeezing day was perfect. The people working there were super nice and helpful. There was so much room to run around and play. We started at the pumpkin patch where we didnt find any impressive pumpkins but had fun trying. Then there was apple picking! The best part. There were a ton of varieties of apples, but a lot were picked clean. Which was fine anyway, because climbing trees to pick the 3 lone Macs that were left was way more fun than if it it were easy to just grab the apples to go. Definitely taste the apples before you pick though, because some of the varieties were kind of icky. The red delicious had a really thick, chewy skin, and the galas were tiny and kind of flavorless. We also went on a hayride, which we had to run and jump on which made it 5 times as fun. Definitely a good place to enjoy fall weather and gorgeous foliage and stock up on apples. read more

The cider barn is fantastic! They have great flatbreads and wonderful hard cider. Also the orchard is absolutely beautiful in the summer. Great place to bring the whole family!! read more

friendly service, clean surroundings. Had lots of fun picking apples and raspberries. The raspberries were tasty. I like crunchy, crisp apples (granny smiths, gala etc). Unfortunately, the ones available for picking were more of the mealy types. No like... The apple cider sample is delicious and entirely different tasting than the store bought stuff! Sad to see many apples and other fruit lying on the ground around the trees. read more

So I hate not giving carlsons 5 stars since I've been going there literally my whole entire life. I'm 36 and as long as I can remember back that's been our go to place for picking and shopping in their store for apple crisp, pies, anything! I took my daughter there for her first time apple picking yesterday and I was so excited to share that experience with her and share some memories I had when I grew up going there. But right off the bat it was a complete circus. Parking was a mess. Just to get a bag of apples the line was super long. The cider barn which we loved going to in the summer, we couldn't even go to because the line was crazy. And getting into the store was crazy! It was all too crazy! So much waiting and extremely hectic. Don't get me wrong, I understand apple picking in the fall will be busy on a weekend. But I always loved that carlsons wasn't a zoo compared to other farms. That was always the nice part of it. I actually enjoyed the simplicity of it. I loved that it was a lovely simple like farm. And now it's turned into such a circus it's not enjoyable anymore. I'm glad they are making more $ now. I am. But I miss the old carlsons! Maybe now that they know it gets this hectic and busy they can organize it better, but I don't see how since it's turned into such chaos. read more

Great, fun place to take the family! Beautiful, new, taproom cider barn that serves their own delicious cider. Outdoor seating too.

Went here for my first time fruit picking with some friends over the past weekend! It was a nice day out and we arrived around 2pm with plenty of parking. We went towards the stand and were given information and directions to the peach trees. The staff was very friendly and the prices were reasonable ($2/lb for peaches). Had a great time picking peaches, there were plenty of trees and three varieties of peaches to pick from. After we finished filling our tray with peaches we went to the store to pay and I picked up some apple cider donuts! They had samples out and I had to buy some after trying. I brought some back home for a friend and she loved them as well. I will definitely come back for apple picking in the fall. read more

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Really pretty place to pick apples. They only have the usual apple varieties, though. Their carbonated cider is a fantastic treat. read more

Awesome spot to pick apples, peaches, nectarines and blueberries. They also have pumpkins in the fall, and cider donuts. Friendly attentive staff and decent pricing. Very beautiful spot, good place to take kids, and adults will enjoy it just as much. read more

Carlson Orchards - Filling my box - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Harvard, Massachusetts

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Went with a group of friends for some apple picking and drinks/food afterwards. Picking your own apples were about the same price as other orchards around Boston $28 for a peck $36ish for the larger size(I'm not sure what it was). There is a good variety of apples, but we couldn't find a honeycrisp anywhere since the trees seemed to be picked clean. They did have some in a roped off section with signs saying not to pick them, maybe they're for their ciders? The ciders were good, I enjoyed the fact that there was a flight for $17 to try all the ciders (8 of them) to find which ones you liked. We all ordered a pizza after we got our drinks, and after waiting a little while(30ish minutes) some of them showed up(7 of the 10, they're small personal pizza size) being brought by someone other than our waitress, but 3 of us hadn't gotten them yet (no worries they're probably coming out soon). After waiting about 10-15 more minutes our waitress came over and asked how everything was and we let her know we waiting on some of the pizzas, another 5-10 minutes pass and she came back out and asked what pizzas we were waiting on (that wasn't a good sign since they didn't even know what we were waiting on) so we let her know and she said they'd be out soon. Another 10-15 minutes pass and we finally got the last 3 pizzas, but everyone else was pretty much done eating at this point so I felt rushed to eat and that's when I noticed that the crust was still raw in some parts (it's thin crust too so I'm not sure how that even happens). Not super thrilled waiting about an hour for my partially uncooked sausage and hots pizza, but the slice I had of my gf's big apple pizza was pretty good. read more

Orchards are great, but SKIP THE STORE- slow and low inventory but you can't tell until you get inside.

I really loved this place a lot! Although I haven't been there in almost 5 years! I really hope to go back there soon though! Its sord of hard to put into words how much I remember loving this place! The staff I remember were pretty friendly when I went inside the store! I'm assuming that on weekends in the fall it's not super crowded! So just go whenever you'd really feel like it is honestly what I'd say! read more

Have had their cider in cans before but no indication that dogs weren't allowed! Drove an hour out to get here and had to leave because they don't allow dogs even outside. Too hot to keep the dog in the car. read more

Oh all right for #200, I will cough up the name of one of my favorite town gems - Carlson's. We pass through practically every other day all year round, whether for a half peck of our fav apple variety (oh delicious Honey Crisp), a new jar of apple jelly, gallon of cider, or zuchini bread and blueberry crisp from their freezer. When apples, peaches and blueberries are in season, we're usually there for the fresh picked fruit. And they sometimes delight us with ready to serve warm well made apple crisp. Yes, I can understand how some may think the new solar panels as ugly, but I have a feeling that they're strategically placed right there at the entrance to be shown off, you know as bragging rights. I think I'll have to ask them next time I'm there. It may not be the most beautiful orchard one has ever been to, but it's the one we go to more often than the other ones in town. read more

Good sparkling cider. I had one bite of an apple and didn't like it (sorry, it's true!). We had fun cruising the store and hanging out in the orchard. read more

Abrasive staff. Stung by several bees while on the hayride and then a screamed at by a staff member SIT DOWN!!! when I stood to get away from the attack as the tractor slowed. I was clearly terrified of the bees and trying to be as safe as possible. The staff member continued to scowl and scold me in front of dozens of patrons, not once asking if everything was ok. read more

I've always really loved Carlson Orchards. But they let me down! Yesterday, on their website, they said blueberries were ready for picking. We went to 2 other U-pick places: one had a closed, no trespassing sign and the other didn't have blueberries anymore. I thought Carlson is sure to have blueberries. But when we got there, the cashier told us that the day before they'd had a busload of 40 people who picked $350 worth (about 150 lbs) of blueberries and there were none left for anyone else. So very disappointing to have driven so far and to go home with nothing! So PLEASE call ahead to make sure they have something for you to pick! read more

I grew up a stones throw away from this place so I'm a little biased. It's a beautiful orchard set in the hills of Harvard. The orchard is large and never over crowded (at least in my experience). The little shop at the entrance sells a bunch of apple desserts, including an awesome caramel apple. read more

I've been to several orchards in the area and Carlson Orchards is my favorite. I've been to Carlson at various times of the year for PYO blueberries, raspberries, peaches and nectarines. Also, one of the few places around where you can get local honey (in the store). I really appreciate that they keep the website up-to-date with a daily facebook post about what's in season and the growing conditions. I rescheduled a trip out there once for a couple days later because one of their updates (e.g. "PYO blueberries is still CLOSED for today while we give the berries another day to ripen but they should be reopened tomorrow morning...") I feel well-informed on what to expect and reassured that when we go, there will actually be great fruit (and there always is!). Very friendly staff and the prices are very reasonable. read more

The staff is relaxed and blabbing to each other. Bad customer service.

Nothin special here - only picking :( cost was $15 for a small bag (1/2 peck). I was looking for some activities for kids to do in addition to the picking. read more

A little bit pricey but overall a great experience. The place was packed but more than enough apples and pumpkins to go around. Plus my daughter got to have her first ever hayride which was very exciting. Definitely check it out. read more

Great place to go apple-picking w the kids! Clean, well-organized, no problem parking, not very big so easy to walk to get the apples, a good selection too. Great cider donuts! Our 2 year old really enjoyed the tractor ride and found lots to pick within his reach. read more

This is a place to go to for me and my family for the last 6 years (ever since i moved to Mass)! This farm is for the sake of farming. Huge grounds with apple trees with delicious fruit, peaches - some of the best, cherries in early summer, raspberries mid August, and the wonderful blueberries - all of which one can pick. The staff is friendly and very nice. They do get crowded during peach and apple festivals, however, and as i have seen some sad reviews i can tell that this is not the farm to expect like a service from or fun staff with a bunch of silly staff to do which call themselves a "farm". If you like these crowded fun filled entertainment farms - then go somewhere else. This is a family farm and people who work there are farmers - they do expand during hot season but it may seem not enough if one comes with high expectations. I personally LOVE this farm, for the atmosphere, its tranquility, its beauty, its purity, and the awesome fruits they grow and yes to the best pies they make! Definitely will be back there for many more years! read more

Best place in the boston area for apple and peach/nectarine picking. Their cider is delicious though they sadly do not make fresh cider doughnuts on site (I have a child who lives for those). Their farm is kept very nicely and there are lots of apple varieties to choose from. Interesting to note that they have the largest agricultural solar installation in the state. read more

Since our go-to Phil's is sadly no longer in business, we went to Carlson this weekend to pick apples. About 50,000 of our closest friends apparently had the same idea because the place was packed (gorgeous weather & Columbus Day weekend, no surprise there). That brings me to the crux of this not-so-enthusiastic review: the trees were picked pretty darn clean. It was a challenge to fill our small bag - glad we didn't go for the big one. Some areas of the orchard were roped off with trees chock full of apples, so if they open those to the public at some point, you might have more luck than we did. Or if you're incredibly ballsy like some people we saw this weekend, you can just climb over the rope and help yourself. (Hope that wasn't roped off due to recent pesticide application, folks!) Other not so good things: Checkout area was chaotic, partly due to sheer number of people wandering around dazed - clearer signs might help. Prices seemed on the high side to me. Cider was OK, nothing special. (God, Phil, how did you make such amazing cider?) Here's the good: Cashier was super friendly, they take credit cards, and yes, that carbonated cider is very tasty. 2 stars seems a little harsh, but 'meh' describes our experience exactly, so 2 it is. We'll probably go somewhere else next time read more

I bought a frozen multi berry pie (I forget what they call it-- it had a name. It also had rhubarb in it) about a month ago and just got around to cooking it up. It was the most amazing, delicious pie I have ever had in my life (I'm 58). They get five stars for that alone, however I also got some utility peaches, both white and yellow, and they were chock full of flavor, especially the yellow ones. The best deal you could get on peaches. I'm so sad peach season is over but I'll probably stop there for apples soon. read more

Best fall apple picking adventure! It was so easy to get to - straight out Rt. 2, then just off 495. Plus it wasn't overcrowded like most of the other big orchards I've been to in Stowe, etc. There was an amazing variety of apples--macouns, macintoshes, fuji, empire, golden delicious, mutsu, cortland and the trees were well labeled and not picked over at all. Plus a great pumpkin patch and a tractor ride. Will definitely be back next year! read more

Best apple picking I've ever been to (selection and quality) and I love how organized the orchard is.

Great place! Was nice how quiet it was. Fruit was great and a reasonable price. Definitely a nice smaller orchard that doesn't have the touristy feel. read more

Whoever at Carlson came up with the solar panel idea should be fired. This person has zero taste or style or tact. Its not that they decided to put them up, its where they put them. I have pictures taken over the years of us right in the driveway of Carlson's surrounded by apple trees. When my babies were infants, I remember sitting in my car nursing while an apple scented wind blew by. Beautiful. But now they removed all the trees and all you see are HUGE metal solar panels on cement blocks. SO DISAPPOINTING. And definitely not worth the drive out to Harvard, MA. A few other points about Carlson: The apple picking is incredibly expensive. Basically you'll pay the same at Whole Foods. Also, they really screw the customer with their cider. They use last years apples that they've kept in "cold storage" to make cider and sell it, sometimes cut with this years fresh apples, as if its "fresh". It is made recently but not with fresh apples AND YOU CAN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE. Damn, things like this make me yearn for VT. I do realize that Carlson is a business and they aren't all bad. But they do not respect the customer. Its like we're all so damn stupid that we can't taste the difference between the water-cider they are selling now and real cider. So disappointing. read more

Their New England McIntosh Applesauce is the best applesauce I have ever had. And no added ingredients. Available at Crosby's Market.

Went about a month ago for pick your own peaches. Awesome selection of white and yellow peaches. Sooooo good!! These were the best white peaches I've ever had (in the U.S.). The parking lot is so close to the fruit picking area, and not crowded at all. This isn't the best place to bring children. No farm animals or things like that. Just awesome for what it is. read more

the place is a riot. nectarines eaches, apples and blueberries are awesome. their gold nectarine is out of this world paradise taste.