How an Apple Orchard in LaFayette Brings Families Together How an Apple Orchard in LaFayette Brings Families Together

USA TODAY NAMED BEAK AND SKIFF THE BEST ORCHARD IN AMERICA FOR THE 2021 SEASON THIS WEEK. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS, THE ENTIRE ORCHARD IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. TO LONGTIME APPLE-PICKER SHARI VAN-DER-HOOF, THE 700-ACRE ORCHARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN NUMBER-ONE.

“OVER THE YEARS I’VE BEEN COMING HERE, IT’S SO MUCH BETTER. SO MANY MORE THINGS TO DO. THE SHOPS, THE FOOD- EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS FANTASTIC.”

THERE IS MORE TO DO THIS YEAR BECAUSE LAST YEAR, COVID FORCED THE ORCHARD TO CLOSE SEVERAL FACILITIES, AND A FIRE INCINERATED AN APPLE BARN. EVEN WITH SOME TOUGH LUCK IN 2020, BEAK AND SKIFF BOUNCED BACK, AND VANDERHOOF SAYS THIS YEAR’S UPGRADED VERSION OF THE ORCHARD IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SPEND TIME WITH HER LOVED ONES.

“FAMILY IS EVERYTHING TO ME. IT’S LOVE. IT’S EVERYTHING. I WEAR MY ‘LOVE SHIRTS’ A LOT BECAUSE JUST BEING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY NO MATTER THE AGE DIFFERENCE, MAKING MEMORIES.”

“MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, MR. AND MRS. VANDERHOOF MET ON A DANCE-FLOOR HERE IN NEW YORK. 20 YEARS LATER, THEY’RE HAPPILY MARRIED, AND BACK TO ENJOY THE DAY WITH THEIR FAMILY.”

“I ALWAYS COME HERE WITH MY SON AND HIS KIDS AND HIS SPOUSE, AND TO ME, THAT’S A GREAT BIRTHDAY PRESENT. TO BE HERE TOGETHER AND GET ALL THE THINGS I NEED FOR THE FALL.”

THIS FALL, EXPECT LIVE MUSIC, A C-B-D PRODUCT RELEASE, AND PLENTY OF HONEYCRISP APPLES – ALL IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

REPORTING LIVE FROM LAFAYETTE, NEW YORK, COLIN BOCK, N-C-C NEWS

LaFayette, N.Y. (NCC News) – This week, Beak & Skiff was named the best apple orchard in the country, per USA Today. 2021 marks the third season in which the orchard has won the award. Beak & Skiff has claimed the crown four times in the past six years, having won the award in back-to-back years. This apple-picking season, the road to national recognition proved arduous, but the orchard gained stalwart supporters.

When the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak, Beak & Skiff couldn’t operate at full capacity, closing a majority of its shops. To add insult to injury, an August 2020 barn fire incinerated thousands of pounds of apple products.

After a year of reinvention and innovation, Beak & Skiff burst onto the CBD scene, adding hemp-growing grounds and a laboratory. As for their family-friendly ventures, the orchard built a playground sandwiched between apple trees, and over 700 Amish-style tables. For lifelong apple-picker Shari Vanderhoof, Beak & Skiff has been her playground through the ups and downs. Ultimately, she says there’s nothing she would rather do than spend time with her family at the orchard.

Vanderhoof: “Over the years I’ve been coming here, it’s so much better,” states Vanderhoof. “[There are] so many more things to do. The shops, the food- everything about [the orchard] is fantastic.”

Vanderhoof’s first memories of Beak & Skiff date back to her young adulthood. The Central New Yorker is an avid pie-baker, and she uses only apples from Beak & Skiff.

With inseparable ties to the orchard and its sweet McIntosh apples, Vanderhoof has made it a tradition to visit to celebrate her birthday. Vanderhoof says there is no better gift than spending a day at the orchard with her loved ones.

Vanderhoof: “I always come here with my son, his kids, and his spouse, and to me, that’s a great birthday present.” attests Vanderhoof.

This year, Vanderhoof brought along a convoy of family-members, including her son, Mike, daughter-in-law, Amanda, and grandson, Zachary. These opportunities are a blessing, and yet another chance to make a lifelong memory, says Vanderhoof.

Vanderhoof: “Family is everything to me,” states Vanderhoof, covered with hundreds of hearts on her t-shirt. “It’s love. I wear my ‘love shirts’ a lot because just being here as a family, no matter the age difference, making memories [is everything].”

Although Vanderhoof typically visits Beak & Skiff on a yearly basis, she says she can not wait to return to celebrate her birthday in a month.

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