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TK FERRI ORCHARDS
Our Orchard
Growing award winning apples in The Blue Mountains since 2007
We grow fruit, not wood. When we purchased an orchard in 2007, we decided to go high-density. Really high density. While the industry standard is 1,200 trees per acre, we have been able to plant roughly 3,000 per acre using a "super spindle" system - the first Ontario orchard to do so. This tightly packed approach creates uniform, hedge-like rows of trees that make mechanical pruning and harvesting possible, which in turn reduces our labour costs. Not only that, it also cuts down on pesticide use and takes just three to five years to achieve full production.
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We sell our apples at the farm in our farm-gate market during harvest in September and October where, in addition to our apples, we offer apple blossom honey and Grandad Jack's Apple Cider which is pressed on site.
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Always looking to give back, we have, to date, donated over 75,000 pounds of our apples to area food banks. The orchard has also hosted the wonderful Community Long Table Event, which raises money for local charities and initiatives.
History
Our Orchard Roots Run Deep
Nazarino and Clelia Ferri
Alice and Quinto Ferri
Karen and Tom Ferri
In 1933, Nazarino and Clelia Ferri, along with their 8 children, purchased their first 10 acres of orchard in the hamlet of Huttonville and began the family’s legacy of premium apple growing.
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The two eldest sons, Mac and Al, did their patriotic duty and went off to war. Quinto and Nick, along with support from their sister, Mary, Ada, Rosa and Lucia, remained in Huttonville and built the family business to an amazing 200 acres of orchard.
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Their fruit was in high demand, and during harvest, they shipped their quality apples to small, independent fruit markets throughout the Toronto area.
Following the war, the four sons prospered in the orchard business. Since then, their sons continued growing premium apples on four farms along Heritage Road in Huttonville. With a dedicated passion for growing apples, the family farms continue to flourish but have needed to relocate due to development pressures.
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Tom, Quinto’s son, along with Tom’s partner Karen, continued to farm the original family homestead in Huttonville until the end of the 2011 harvest. Clarksburg is now the home of their new orchard where they’ve planted a progressive, state of the art orchard with approximately 60000 trees. There are 2500-3000 trees per acre (customarily orchards have approximately 1000 trees per acre).
Farming doesn’t come without its challenges. A 2009 tornado made a direct hit on the farm and destroyed 85% of the producing trees. Rodent damage in 2010 killed over 1000 trees, and Mother Nature’s early spring followed by many nights of freezes in 2012 left the crop at 10%.
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The Ferri legacy, producing premium, large apples, continues despite the obstacles served up by Mother Nature. It’s not just the size but it’s the flavour of the apples that has helped to make this orchard award winning with nearly 58 000 trees on their 22 acres. Along with on-farm pressed Grandad Jack’s Apple Cider, a variety of hand-picked apples are available, in season, including Honey Crisp, Mac, Mutsu, Ambrosia, Gala, Cortland, Golden Delicious and a TK Ferri exclusive, Bay Beauty.