Apple Hill, a network of farms and orchards that span from Placerville to Pollock Pines, produces fruits, vegetables, pies, juice and Christmas trees.

Apple Hill is named for what the farms are most famous for: their apples.

Evelyn Abel, fourth-generation owner of Abel’s Apple Acres in Apple Hill, said her farm is not limited to just apples.

“We sell apples, a few squash, Asian pears, but I’m done with those (for the season),” Abel said. “We have Goldens, Grannies and Pink Ladies,” Abel said, referring to different apple types. “We also sell pies and candied apples.”

But Abel’s farm is not only about the produce. The farm offers pony and horse rides, as well as a hay maze, barbecue and fudge.

Desiree Aguiar, senior public relations major, said she enjoys visiting the farms at Apple Hill.

“There’s a ton to do,” Aguiar said. “(The farmers) brew apple beer and wine, and there (are) tastings. There’s caramel apples, fresh apple pie. It can’t be beat. There’s apple farms everywhere. It’s fun in the fall. The colors are pretty. It’s really beautiful.”

Wine made from apples and grapes is also offered at Apple Hill. Boa Vista Orchards, another fourth-generation farm, offers fresh apple turnovers and apple wine year-round. Jellies, jams, syrups and other preserves add to the fruits sold at the orchard.Bolster’s Hilltop Ranch and Winery also produces apple wine, but is also known for its rolling hills of blueberry farms.

For those with children, Kids Inc., named by the children of the owners, is a farm that offers schoolchildren tours of its pie-making facilities. Although famous for its apple pies, the farm also sells apple cheesecakes, apple cider and plain apples. A pumpkin patch is open to the public, along with a corn maze of Indian corn in the fall.

Many farms in Apple Hill, such as Kids Inc., also offer Christmas tree farms. The tree farms open after Thanksgiving.

Jane Harris, owner of Harris Tree Farms, said the farm has been selling Christmas trees for 150 years.

“The farm has been in the family as a choose-and-cut farm,” Harris said. “You can go out with the family, choose a tree and we’ll wrap it up.”

The farm opens in June to sell vegetables and in November to sell Christmas trees. Unlike the other tree farms on Apple Hill, Harris unofficially sells Christmas trees when the farm opens in June, to cater to those such as members of the armed forces, who will not have the chance to celebrate in December.

Harris Tree Farms sells different types of Christmas trees, such as white fir, noble fir and silver tip. The farm is located off of Highway 50 in Placerville, on Blair Road at the Pollock Pines exit.Janine Joy, a resident of Apple Hill, goes to Rappetti Farms every year to get her family’s Christmas tree.

“We’ve been going to Rapetti’s for eight years,” Joy said. “The trees last a long time and smell great. The workers are really friendly, and the family is helpful.”

Joy also enjoys the sights of Apple Hill and of having fresh produce close at hand.

“I like the convenience of being able to come here,” she said. “And I enjoy being able to see the seasons happening.”

Many of the farms sell their produce at farmer’s markets in Folsom or El Dorado Hills, making it a shorter trip for Sac State students to enjoy locally-grown produce.

Tyler Howland, a student at the California Maritime Academy, said he visits family in Apple Hill every year to help them pick out Christmas trees.

“Every year, I visit my family and we come to Apple Hill. It’s really fun. We go wine tasting, we get produce for Thanksgiving, we have fun. The day after Thanksgiving, we go up and pick a tree,” Howland said. “My parents live in Oregon, so my aunt and uncle become my family for picking out a tree.”

The farms of Apple Hill are generally open from June through December, though some are open all year.

To find out more about Apple Hill, visit:www.applehill.com/site/growers.html.

Cole Mayer can be reached at [email protected]