A fall tradition is back at Apple Hills -- apple picking

Binghamton, NY (WBNG) - A fall tradition is finally back in the Southern Tier -- apple picking.

At Apple Hills in Binghamton, they start u-pick apples “right when the kids go back to school on Labor Day,” Farmer and Apple Hills co-owner, David Johnson explained. Over two months, pickers can harvest 13 different apple varieties.

“New York state is the second largest apple producing state in the country. So, we know how to grow apples in New York state,” he said.

This year the weather cooperated for the farmer and his crop turned out better than he expected.

“It started raining in the last part of August and in September, and we got a normal crop! I can’t be more happy and thankful for mother nature. We got a beautiful crop.”

And new this year to Apple Hills is u-pick sunflowers.

Johnson and his wife have planted 10 different sunflower varieties this year. “This is maroon, we have black ones, we’ve got greenish ones,” he explained showing us the expansive field.

He said as long as there isn’t a hard freeze, the sunflowers should last for the season.

“My wife wanted to try it out. We’re farmers, we gave it a shot and they came out pretty well.”

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