"Excellent local (and some non-local) produce in Durham"
Nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood, I've driven past this on Barbee Road several times but finally stopped in for the first time 3 weeks ago. And I've come back every weekend since. The owner inherited the place from his father and has been here since he was 10 years old. It's not huge-- mostly a set of nice wooden shelves behind the owner's home. It's a bit of a stretch to call it an "orchard"-- while there are some fruit trees, there's no option for customers picking from the trees, and most of what's for sale is local but not grown on-site. Still, this place is great, and the prices are very competitive!
Some things to check out right now:
+ Apples. LOTS of varieties-- ~10 when I was there earlier today. While they may not look as pristine as the ones in the grocery store, they taste AMAZING-- much better than Kroger's. We're especially fans of the honeycrisp. They have a great option where you can fill a 1/2 peck bag for $5 with whatever you like. (Pro-tip: For best bang-for-buck, choose more small apples rather than fewer large apples.)
+ Pumpkins. TONS of shapes and sizes. I think I remember they were $5.
+ Plums. Local & delicious.
+ Muscadine & scuppernong grapes. And jellies made from them (see next).
+ Jellies. So many wonderful kinds and blends made fresh: peach, mint-apple, local grapes, etc.
+ "Butters". Do you like apple butter? How about some PUMPKIN butter? Or sweet potato butter? These are amazing.
+ LOCAL HONEY! And multiple varieties, no less!
+ Various pickled items, ranging from bread & butter pickles to jalapeno chow chow to pickled okra.
+ Sorbets & popsicles. Made fresh on site with many of the delicious items.
There were a few non-local things, like bananas, pineapple, etc., too. And they have a Friday fondue night, but we haven't checked that out yet.
Obviously, the selection rotates year-round-- the last few watermelons were there on our first visit. And as another reviewer noted, the location is only open seasonally, so don't come mid-winter.
The owner is great-- very well-spoken and kind. And they take credit cards. Pokemon Go players may also be happy since there's a Pokestop located here, too.
Overall, this place is great-- 5 stars. read more