Weaver’s Orchard Farm Market has announced the four winners of their sixth annual photo contest, a challenge that invited customers to submit photos of their experiences on the farm throughout the harvest season.
This year’s winning photos capture the joy of establishing a tradition and routine of picking fruit.
First-prize winner Mihaela Butoi of Devon caught her six-year-old twins in action during apple picking, standing inside a large apple crate and holding the apples they picked.
“They are always running and climbing, so I helped them up in the big containers and they couldn’t be happier,” said Butoi.
Picking fruit at Weaver’s Orchard has been a tradition for Butoi’s family for more than 10 years.
“My little ones have been coming there since they were two months old and some of the apples were almost as big as their heads,” said Butoi. “My children love fruit, any kind of fruit.”
The family comes to Weaver’s Orchard to pick strawberries, cherries and raspberries, but “apple picking is by far their favorite.” This is especially true, Butoi said, when they get to pick Jonathan apples, the twins’ best-loved variety.
Mallory Kercher of Reading snapped the second-prize-winning photo of her one-year-old daughter Olivia out in the pumpkin patch, standing over a plump pumpkin.
“Both kids were excited as we loaded onto the hayride and drove out to the pumpkin patch,” said Kercher.
Her older son, Owen, took off running around the whole patch, while Olivia “inspected each one carefully and happily shouted ‘PUMPKIN!’ with each new one she found.”
Kercher notes that her family has come to the orchard for apple picking and Fall Family Fun Days every year since 2012, when they first brought Owen to the orchard.
“I love seeing the kids so genuinely happy while enjoying our annual family traditions,” she said. “This photo is a wonderful reminder of that.”
Lisa Domalski of Robesonia won third prize for her photo of her three-year-old son Jeremiah admiring his container of freshly picked red raspberries.
“The orchard is a special place in our hearts,” said Domalski. “We talk about going [to Weaver’s] once a week. Since we live on the other side of Berks County, we limit ourselves to once a week.”
Sandy Imboden of Sinking Spring claimed honorable mention for her whimsical photo of her dog, Zena, an Australian Shepherd, sitting at a deck table and posing as if she is sipping a pint of Weaver’s Orchard cider. She is surrounded by Honeycrisp apples Imboden had just picked. This was Imboden’s first season picking fruit at Weaver’s, and it became a routine for her as she picked pounds of blueberries, plums, cherries, peaches and apples.
“I can’t wait for spring to start the picking season all over again,” said Imboden.
Weaver’s received 33 entries in this year’s contest. The contest was hosted on Facebook and all entries can be viewed at www.facebook.com/weaversorchard. Weaver’s anticipates a seventh photo contest beginning summer 2016.
Weaver’s Orchard is nestled in the beautiful hills of Berks County just 15 minutes south of Reading and features festivals, events and pick-your-own fruit as well as a farm market open all year for a complete country shopping experience.
