Riley's Farm Apple Picking Rules

First of all, remember this is a farm in hill country, elevated 4,800 to 5,200 feet above sea level--nearly a mile in the sky. We cannot blacktop the orchards and still grow fruit, so you need to have good phsyical agility and leg strength to enter the orchards and pick fruit. Apple orchards have uneven ground conditions, gopher holes, and sometimes fallen tree limbs, not to mention other natural and man-made hazards. We have lots of fruit and food for sale in the packing shed, so if you are a tender foot, feeble, or suffering from poor agility, we don't recommend u-pick.



	Apple Picking Rules at Riley's Farm

	We have the greatest customers on earth, but there are a few who really, really need to read the rules. If you're a good customer, this will all be obvious, but just in case you see someone who hasn't read this page...
	Apple Orchard Rules
		First of all, remember this is a farm in hill country, elevated 4,800 to 5,200 feet above sea level--nearly a mile in the sky. We cannot blacktop the orchards and still grow fruit, so you need to have good phsyical agility and leg strength to enter the orchards and pick fruit. Apple orchards have uneven ground conditions, gopher holes, and sometimes fallen tree limbs, not to mention other natural and man-made hazards. We have lots of fruit and food for sale in the packing shed, so if you are a tender foot, feeble, or suffering from poor agility, we don't recommend u-pick.
	1.	You don't need any special equipment, ladders, or picking poles, and if you bring them, we will ask you to leave them in your car.
	2.	An apple with a little sprig of leaf on it may look good, but it's a big no-no. Picking an apple this way will keep the tree from producing in this spot next year. Always pick an apple by pushing up and twisting until it comes off.
	3.	No climbing on the trees.
	4.	No topping off. Lots of people see all the apples on the trees at harvest and they think they should be able to take as many as they want. Not good! We work hard irrigating, fertilizing, controlling pests, and marketing the crop. Please don't steal it. If we sell you a container, you should be able to carry the produce in one hand away from your body.
	5.	You can't re-use a container from a previous visit or re-use a container twice in the same day. Suppose you visit a grocery store, would you empty the bag and go back inside for more free goods? You good customers know that it's even absurd we have to mention this, but you would be surprised how many people we catch trying to do just this.
	6.	Apple trees that are ready to pick will be labeled. Don't pick anything that isn't ready--or you might get a pretty starchy, "green apple" surprise.
	7.	Any apple you touch, pick, or cause to fall to the ground is yours to purchase. Every year, we are horrified to see someone picking from the tree, inspecting the fruit, throwing it on the ground, then going to the next apple.
	8.	No shaking the tree, banging the branches with a stick or a picking pole.
	9	Everyone in your party must have a labeled, dated Riley's Farm picking container. Guests who pick without paying for a container first, will be asked to leave.

Apple Picking Rules at Riley's Farm

Apple Orchard Rules