Creasman Farms 280 Bent Arrow Lane Hendersonville (828) 685-7728 Creasman apples are available at tailgate markets in Asheville and Black Mountain, and the farm is open to the public for apple picking on Sundays in the fall. Call ahead. For more on Henderson County’s apple industry and a directory of other orchards, visit the Blue Ridge Direct Market Association’s site, ncapples.com.
From mid August to late October, the couple enlists help to bring in the harvest. Apples are hand-picked to avoid bruising and then carefully transferred to a 20-bushel bin. Left, Bud Creasman transports fruit to the sorting shed.
Branching Out With knowledge passed through generations, the Creasmans started their orchard in 1996 with four types of apple trees. Today, they maintain 45 varieties, most of them antique heirlooms. Left, 20-bushel bins can hold 1,750 to 2,500 apples, depending on size.
Creasman Farms is among some 125 orchards spanning more than 5,000 acres in Henderson County, the cradle of North Carolina’s apple crop.
Fruits of Labor
