Jim Crowell, owner of Chapman's Orchard invites 4-H youth to tour Chapman’s Apple Orchard, starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, September 12, in Chapman’s Orchard, located at 1245 County Road 4 in Oxford. (Photos by Kelli Miller)

OXFORD — 4-H youth are invited to tour Chapman’s Apple Orchard starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Chapman’s Orchard, located at 1245 County Road 4 in Oxford.

4-H youth ages 5 to 18 are invited to meet at the orchard to tour and learn all about apple farming in New York.

The event is free, but registration is required by Sept. 10. Register at reg.cce.cornell.edu/4-H-Apple-Orchard-Tour_208.

“Youth will learn the ins and outs of running an apple orchard, the hard work and dedication that goes into running an apple orchard and all about the varieties of apples offered on the family-run farm,” said 4-H youth development educator Nicole Starkweather.

“This will be a great educational experience for 4-H families and sure to be a tasty one,” Starkweather said.

“Right now, the weather looks great, but participants should dress for the appropriate weather and if there is a chance of rain, dress accordingly, as this is a rain-or-shine event,” she added.

Chapman’s Orchard is owned by Jim Crowell and his family.

“I’ve owned the farm for 21 years now and this is our sixth year of apple sales,” Crowell said. “We planted everything about 15 years ago and have 1,800 apple trees with 36 apple varieties.”

“It’s a lot more work and a lot more science than we anticipated, plus it takes a lot of TLC,” Crowell added.

Crowell explained that the orchard is named after his wife’s maiden name, Chapman. Beyond the personal family tribute, he noted a compelling historical tie-in: Chapman was also the surname of American pioneer nurseryman Johnny Appleseed, whose birth name was John Chapman.

He said he looks forward to educating visitors on apple farming and wants to share the joy of apple picking he experienced as a child.

“We have a pumpkin patch too and people come out and pick their own. We have orange ones of all sizes, white, pink and blue pumpkins. It’s fun to grow them, watch them grow and it seems the parents like picking them as much as the children do,” Crowell said.

Right now, a tent shelter houses the bags of picked apples, but Crowell said next year they will be moving their storage building from across the street to the orchard area in hopes of providing more of a farm store atmosphere.

According to its website, the goal of Chapman’s Orchard is to provide a local source for fresh fruits, vegetables and food from its u-pick orchard, along with additional foods sourced from growers throughout New York.

They believe people should know where their food is coming from and meet the farmers who grow their food. They also provide breads, squash and a variety of pumpkins.

Chapman’s Orchard at Crowell Farms is set on 300 acres of carefully managed farmland and dates back to the early 1800s as a working farm, with several of the original orchards still in place.

The orchard offers u-pick and ready-picked apples and other fresh produce, along with baked goods. They are also taking apple tree orders for spring 2027.

Their tree varieties include Honeycrisp, Cortland, CrimsonCrisp, Zestar, Northern Spy and more. To preorder apple trees, call the office at 607-334-3133.

For additional 4-H questions, contact Nicole Starkweather at nrs98@cornell.edu.

For additional orchard information, email Chapman’s Orchard at chapmansorchard@gmail.com.