What’s it like to visit a farm?
Our Visit NC Farms app administrator, Alisha got a chance to visit Jeter Mountain Farms. Read more…
Never been to a farm? Say it isn’t so!
For a lot of us, trying new things is well… a little scary.
Maybe you’ve only tried a Farmer’s Market. Maybe you’ve been checking out the Visit NC Farms App (Apple / Android) for a little bit, but haven’t fully committed to visiting a farm.
Luckily for you, our friendly App Administrator, Alisha took a day to check out all of the great things happening on Jeter Mountain Farm in Hendersonville, NC.
Read more to learn how she got to taste some of their freshly canned ciders, romped with her kids on Johnny Appleseed Playground, enjoyed a fine hayride, and bought beautiful flowers and wonderful candles.
From Alisha:
Just some of the scenes captured on Alisha’s visit to Jeter Mountain Farms.
Off the cuff, we decided to visit some family in South Carolina right before preschool started. I didn’t want to waste a day in the car, so I pulled up the app and looked for farms on the way that were interactive and fun.
Jeter Mountain Farm jumped out so we set our itinerary.
The entrance to the farm is welcoming with a sign of love you can see from the road. In 2005, the Hunsader family acquired over 400 acres in beautiful Western North Carolina, now known as Jeter Mountain Farm. Before this time, the barns and property were being utilized as an equestrian farm. Though the farm and pastureland had never held fruit trees before, the dream of an orchard took hold in their hearts and the family began to carve out the path of bringing their dream to a reality.
Today the farm is in immaculate condition. The farm is situated among rolling hills and the Appalachian Mountains make the perfect backdrop.
It was a little cooler than normal so it did feel like Fall was around the corner, even though this last week was blazing hot.
My kids loved playing on the Johnny Appleseed playground where there are huge tractor tires to jump from. I was thankful because every momma knows a car trip with tired kids is a better car trip.
We went apple picking as they are in season right now. I took a crisp bite of fresh natural apple and it’s beyond words. A store bought apple just isn’t the same. My kids loved taking turns picking their favorite apples and it's early in the season so they couldn’t go wrong. Plenty of fresh ones to choose from.
On site there is smoke pit serving delicious pulled pork and chicken sandwiches, apple cider donuts, and other goodies. The meat was tender and juicy, just as you would expect from a fine North Carolina pitmaster. It was a beautiful place to have a meal and a much better idea than grabbing fast food on the road.
But the highlight for me was the canned cider made onsite with their fresh apples. Some ciders are for the kids. And some are us adults. They have fresh cider on tap, and canned to go. The fresh taste of apple was so crisp, so refreshing, you realize there are levels to cider. There is store bought mass produced canned cider where the apple flavor comes from some type of weird syrup, and there’s farm fresh North Carolina cider that has the perfect blend of sweetness and kick. Since we were driving, we chose the kid friendly ciders, but I saw adults drinking the adult ciders. Let’s just say there were smiles everywhere.
The day ended with tired kids, and a happy momma. Before the sun fell, we took a hayride through the hills to close our day. On our way out we took a look at the gift shop and quickly smelled their homemade scented candles. The candles instantly brought me back to my mother’s house on a cozy fall so I picked up a few. (I’ve also burned through a full candle already, so I’m going to need more). A quick snap of the car seat and we were off to see some family.
There are literally thousands of farms in North Carolina waiting to give you this experience. Don’t miss out.
Download the app and find your next adventure, today!
