Generations Of Peace At The Apple Place Brings Lots Of Joy To Locals In Massachusetts
East Longmeadow, MA — Tucked along a residential area in East Longmeadow is a 19-acre orchard that’s part bakery, part farm stand, part ice cream shop and part refuge.
“People say the first thing they notice is that it’s peaceful here,” said owner Cindy Normandin. She and husband Neal created the Apple Place, a small farm that has grown and expanded over time. The couple took over property when Cindy’s father, Wallace McNeish, passed away.
The original orchard was established by McNeish in Springfield. Then in the 1970s when that land was about to be developed, he moved the trees to the family’s new property in East Longmeadow. Over time the trees became a hobby for Cindy’s father.
“He just kept adding and adding,” Cindy said. Family and friends enjoyed free fruit while the abundance was sold on a table by the road. Eventually sales expanded into a barn on the property. Today the Normandins add produce from partner farms and homemade cider.
Cindy never expected to take over the farm, but neither did her father. She said her “stubbornness” was part of the reason she decided to move back home. That and ensuring the land remained a peaceful oasis.
She said her father was very successful at growing things but not as good at explaining how he did it. Cindy had to learn from others including the University of Massachusetts Extension Fruit Program, assisting growers with all aspects of farming. After a few years learning how to tend the trees she decided to replace part of the orchard with thinner spindle trees, or espalier, planting 1,000 trees on half an acre where there once were 60 full-sized varieties.
Now their orchard contains nearly 70 varieties of apples plus peaches and pears. During the fall they have tastings in the barn so visitors can sample different types.
The bakery was established 12 years ago and was an immediate hit. It was an opportunity for Cindy, a culinary school graduate, to add food. The expansive menu changes daily to give frequent customers plenty of variety. It has expanded from pies and cider donuts to items like filled croissants, crustless quiche bites and soups.
Five years ago the Apple Place partnered with a local creamery to open an ice cream parlor. Then recently they established a food truck that’s open on summer evenings along with acoustic music or during seasonal events like the fall corn maze.
“What I love is you hardly ever see people on their cell phones here.” ”
Caring for the farm is a time-consuming process. The farm is closed during the winter so the couple can maintain the property and carefully prune the trees which takes three months.
“It’s so rewarding to get an apple at the end,” Cindy said. “There’s something about growing things that really is rewarding even though it’s a ton of work. It’s a labor of love.”
Although they’re closed through the winter, customers are excited for the Apple Place to open its doors again in the spring and to once again find the quiet sanctuary in the middle of East Longmeadow.
“What I love is you hardly ever see people on their cell phones here,” Cindy said. She watches people enjoying time together, watching chickens and pigs, talking, eating, and playing games.
“My father would be very happy about that,” she said. “He loved to show people around his farm, so now so many people get to enjoy it.”
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