Robinson’s Orchard reopens after three years closed

ENFIELD, Maine (WABI) - One Enfield orchard is making a resurgence after three years of being closed.

Andy Robinson and wife Angel are rehabilitating Robinson’s Orchard, a generational seed planted about 80 years ago.

Robinson describes the orchard’s origins: “My grandfather bought this property from a family named the Gray’s in 1940. My grandfather died in the mid 1950s.”

Andy’s father, Tom Robinson, took over the family orchard in 1970 and ran its operations until his death in 2020.

“With my father, it became kind of a shrinking operation over time,” says Robinson. “Last few years, we’ve been trying to stabilize it and get it back in production.”

While the orchard is open for the first time in three years, Robinson says that it’s going to take several years for the orchard to fully come to fruition.

Pruning trees, clearing grounds, and replanting the various fruit trees are all on the to-do list.

Touted as the first Maine orchard to successfully grow peaches, they offer apples, pears, and plums as well.

Both Andy and Angel say the project has been a learning experience.

“It’s amazing because Tom did so much when he was here, and for us to go back up there and try to mimic what he was doing, there’s just, there’s no end to how much effort and time he put into this place,” remarks Angel Robinson.

Despite the labor needed to bring back an orchard full of apples, plums, peaches, and pears, it’s a labor of love and family for the Robinsons.

“I was very close to my father, and he was a huge influence on me,” Robinson describes. “All the sacrifices he made to keep this place whole, like where most people would have just said to heck with it, sell off this land, take the money and go retire in Florida, he didn’t do that. And I’m glad he did it, I respect that choice. And I’m growing to love this place as he did, which I didn’t really expect.”

As expected, the Robinsons’ highly sought-out peaches quickly sold out for the season!

Their other crops are available to order, and for the first time in 20 years, they’re bringing homemade apple cider back!

Currently, Robinson’s Orchard is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

They say due to the great summer creating an accelerated growing season, these hours will remain until late September or early October.