In American history, the colonists and later the settlers and pioneers did not have the luxury of refrigerating their very vital food sources. Apples, one of our country's most important and first foods relied upon for survival, have been cherished for their many uses. From sweet and hard ciders, pies, sauces, butters, dehydrated, or simply eaten fresh out of hand - The Keepers Collection celebrates the historical tradition of putting up fresh grown apples for later use. Keepers, or storing apples were prized for their incredible shelf life. In fact some keeper varieties weren't even developed enough picked off the tree during the Autumn harvest - they required storage in a root cellar for several months before the flavors and amazing characteristics developed. One such apple is the Arkansas Black.

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This collection is the very first in a series that Athol Orchards will begin offering every season. This collection will include the following five varieties:

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-Newtown Pippin

-Ashmead’s Kernel

-Arkansas Black

-Cox’s Orange Pippin

-Winesap

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Upon placing your deposit, we will collect some information from you, determine whether you are a customer requiring shipped trees or if you are local to our orchard and will be picking up your young trees in the Spring. The deposit will be counted towards the total of the collection. These trees will be 2024 season trees.