EcoCertified, Farmstand, U-Pick, Wholesale
Blue Hills Orchard
The Henry Family
EcoCertified Fruit: apples, peaches
Produce: nectarines, plums
Grower Information
Location
141 Blue Hills Road, Wallingford, CT 06492
Contact
203-269-3189
When To Visit
August through Early November
A Family Orchard Since 1904
Blue Hills Orchard is staying in the family — and working alongside his children is one of the greatest rewards for owner and manager Eric Henry. Eric represents the fifth generation of Henrys at Blue Hills, and his children, now farming with him, are the sixth.
It all began in 1904, when William Henry purchased the land and established Blue Hills Orchard. At the time, William was the Dean of Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin, so he knew a thing or two about good farmland. In the early years, the farm grew cabbages, later adding peaches and cherries. It wasn’t until the 1940s that apples became the primary crop, as they remain today.
Building on Each Generation’s Work
“I remember still working with both my dad and my grandfather, and knowing what they did”, Eric recalls. “Each generation was kind of proud of some advancement or something that they took lead on, you know, whether it was a new building, or new planting style, or a new variety that they helped push and promote. It’s almost like a pyramid: keep building on the last layer. Hopefully you’re lifting it up.”
As I’m getting older, just to be surrounded by my family every day…I look around and it’s like, ‘who gets to do this?’ It’s quite a blessing.
Blue Hills’ farmland is perched on the northern slope of Sleeping Giant Mountain. This location offers high-quality soil and ideal elevation, and the slope helps delay the peaches’ maturation — making them more likely to withstand harsh New England weather. Of the orchard’s more than 300 acres, about 250 are planted with apples, while another 30 grow peaches, with a scattering of nectarines as well. All of it is EcoCertified®.
Working Together as a Family
Growing up and into young adulthood, Eric worked alongside his father and grandfather, learning the lay of the land and what it meant to be a farmer. Then, all at once, it was his turn. Now, he says he feels fortunate that each of his children has a knack for a different part of the farm, allowing them to share the work together.
“As I’m getting older, just to be surrounded by my family every day…I look around and think, ‘who gets to do this?’” says Eric Henry. “We get together several times a day for a coffee, a break, and a chat, and then we head back out on our tractors in different directions again. It’s quite a blessing.”
