Bolton Orchard preserving their heritage , doing things the right way by Heather Panetta
Just a short drive out to “ Apple Country ” in Worcester County , I stumbled upon a hidden gem of an orchard in Bolton , Massachusetts . Tucked back along a quiet country road , I discovered the 100 acre Nicewicz Family Farm . Rows of apple trees line one side of the road , and a charming farm stand was on the other . Many kinds of pumpkins , squashes , and gourds were piled outside the farm stand ; inside were baskets of apples along with fresh corn and other homegrown vegetables . I was greeted by one of the owners , Ken Nicewicz ( pronounced Nishway ), who immediately struck up a conversation and talked to me as if we were old friends . After picking up some corn and green peppers , I asked if he had any heirloom apple varieties that I could pick in the orchard . “ Yes we do , and I ’ ll even walk you over there and show you the trees myself !”
At the orchard , Ken showed me familiar heirloom apple trees such as McIntosh and Cortland , as well as two types I ’ d never heard of . The first was called Westfield Seek-No-Further , which originated in Massachusetts in the late 1700 ’ s . “ This apple is definitely an eating apple , not a cooking apple ”, he said . He went on to explain how some apples are better eaten fresh because they aren ’ t firm enough to withstand the heat when cooked and can turn mushy . He picked one off the tree and handed it to me . I polished the apple with my shirt and took a bite ; the crunch and taste were unlike anything I ’ d ever tried before . It was indeed a great eating apple . He then showed me another heirloom apple tree called Wolf River , which is a variety from Wisconsin dating back to the 1870 ’ s . He picked an apple off the tree that was almost the size of a grapefruit . “ Oh that ’ s a small one !” he said with a smile . He explained that this variety can get extremely large and is not recommended for eating fresh ; it ’ s an excellent cooking apple for pies and other baked goods ( which I can attest to ; it made a delicious apple crisp later ).
Ken was happy to give me a little history about the family farm . His grandparents were Polish immigrants who bought it in1929 . Today he , along with his siblings and mother , run the farm growing apples , peaches , pears , plums , nectarines , apricots , blueberries , pumpkins , squash , corn , and other vegetables . He told me that keeping their property protected and intact is very important ; so the family enrolled in the Massachusetts Agricultural Preservation Restriction ( APR ) Program and sold the development rights to 70 acres of their farmland . As long as the family continues to actively farm those 70 acres , APR will preserve the land in its current state and it can never be used in the future for housing or other non-agricultural developments .
The farm uses Integrated Pest Management ( or IPM ), a sustainable approach which uses alternative solutions ( such as ballshaped glue traps hanging in the fruit trees ) to monitor and control the pest activity in the orchard . The farm is not certified organic , although most IPM treatments are derived from naturally occurring substances ( and any synthetic agents that they use are safe and environmentally conscious ). IPM is a more eco-friendly pest management system – not only for those who eat the farm ’ s produce , but also for the wild animals , insects and birds who call the farm home .
The Nicewicz family has been generous in donating to charitable organizations over the years . They donate apples every Thanksgiving to nonprofit organizations like Food for Free and Boston Area Gleaners , who distribute the apples to local food pantries and homeless shelters like Pine Street Inn .
8 GROW ! BOSTON