There is a particular kind of quiet on a Massachusetts orchard in late October. The crowds of early September have thinned, the hills are turning red and gold, and the trees are still hanging with the late-season apples that many families say taste best. For Muslim families looking for a wholesome weekend outing before the clocks go back on Nov. 1, it is hard to beat.

This year, one of the best-known orchards west of Boston has an extra reason to celebrate. Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow is marking 100 years.

A family farm, four generations on

According to the orchard's own history, Honey Pot Hill was founded in 1926, when Clifford Martin bought a 70-acre all-purpose farm in Stow. It has since grown to 186 acres of apples, peaches, blueberries and a few other small crops, and it has stayed in the Martin family for four generations. Today it is run by Andrew and Chelcie Martin, a father-daughter team.

"We love growing good fruit. It's our thing," the farm says on its website. It also says every apple is hand-sorted by its crew, and that its fruit is "traceable from the tree to your hands."

For families who like to know where their food comes from, that is a lovely lesson to share with children between rows of trees.

What's on the trees right now

As of Oct. 16, the orchard's pick-your-own page listed a long line-up of apples available for picking: Cortland, Red Delicious, Empire, McIntosh, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Macoun, Smitten, Ambrosia, Crimson Crisp, Snapdragon, Spartan and Pink Lady.

The farm says it is typically open for apple picking from early August into early November, but those dates are approximate and weather-dependent. If you're aiming for a late-October visit, go sooner rather than later, and check the farm's pick-your-own page the morning you leave.

Know before you go

  • Hours: The farm store is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and apple picking runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Address: 138 Sudbury Road, Stow. Parking is free; the farm currently asks visitors to park in the Farm Store lot, where you also buy picking bags and hayride stamps.
  • Bring cash. Apple picking is cash only. A peck bag is $25 and admits up to three people into the orchard; a half-bushel bag is $38 and admits up to five. ATMs are on site, and cards are accepted only in the farm store and at the donut windows ($5 minimum).
  • No outside bags. All fruit must fit in the bag you bought.
  • Hayrides are $2 per person over age 3, when running. Strollers are allowed in the orchard but not on hayrides, and paths are mostly dirt and hilly, with limited wheelchair accessibility.
  • Donuts: The farm says it makes fresh donuts every day it is open, and that they are peanut-free. If you have questions about ingredients, the farm suggests calling the store.
  • No pets, except service animals.
  • No reservations are needed for picking at this point in the season. Groups can book through the farm's website.

Prayer nearby

Late-October days are short, and Dhuhr and Asr can come quickly once you're out among the trees. Many families simply pray in the orchard on a clean mat, but if you'd like a masjid, Masjid Ar-Raheem sits a short drive south at 197 Pleasant St. in Marlborough. It is affiliated with Darul Uloom Boston and Ar-Raheem Academy, which list daily prayers, weekend school and community programs there. Check the center's posted adhan schedule before you go.

Families coming from the east can also stop at the Islamic Center of Boston, at 126 Boston Post Road in Wayland, on the way in or out.

Halal lunch (or dinner) down the road

After a morning of picking, Marlborough's stretch of Boston Post Road East makes an easy food stop.

Al Maidah Mandi House, at 388 Boston Post Rd. E, is certified by Halal Monitoring Services (HMS), which lists its certified products as chicken, lamb, goat and beef, valid through Dec. 31, 2026. The restaurant calls itself "The King of Mandi," and its website describes authentic Indian cuisine. HMS lists hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, closing at 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Note the afternoon break between lunch and dinner, and call (978) 816-0963 to confirm before you drive over.

Make it a tradition

A bag of apples in the trunk, a box of donuts on the back seat, a prayer together, and a warm plate of mandi before the drive home: it's a simple day, and a good one. A hundred years after Clifford Martin bought his farm in Stow, it is still the kind of place families come back to every fall.

Hours, prices and apple varieties change through the season. Please confirm with each business before you go.

Sources