Do you ship apples or cider?
Yes we do! Check out our shops here:
I am hoping to purchase a specific apple variety. How can I order it?
We typically have 15 or so varieties of apple in storage at any given time. If you are really hoping for a specific variety, reach out directly and ask! We may be able to accommodate your request. If so, we will instruct you how to place your special order. Please email us at marketing@champlainorchards.com.
How fast will a fruit/gift box be shipped once I order?
We pack and ship our boxes as the orders come in, but do not pack or ship on weekends. Orders placed after noon on weekdays will be packed and shipped the following day. Orders placed over the weekend will be shipped the following Monday. For freshest delivery, all fruit and gift boxes will ship via Fedex 2-Day.
Please note that the orchard is located in a rural area of Vermont. Occasionally we may experience carrier pick-up delays which could impact delivery times.
Can I cancel or change my order once it has been placed?
After an order has been placed, we’ll do our best to accommodate any changes you need to make. If you’d like to change or cancel, contact us right away at marketing@champlainorchards.com or call (802) 897-2777.
If your order has already been prepared for shipping, we will unfortunately be unable to make changes.
You may cancel an order any time up until it leaves our orchard.
Do you ship trees?
We are not set up to handle shipping live fruit trees and cannot accommodate that at this time. We do, however, occasionally offer Scion wood for shipping, which can be used for grafting.
What is your online return/exchange policy?
Please note that all online food and gift card sales are final.
Hard cider returns are managed through the Vinoshipper portal; please refer to their policy page for more information.
Non-food items may be returned or exchanged within 30 days of receipt. To be eligible for a return or exchange, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. For proper crediting, please include a copy of your order confirmation with the returned item.
Shipping costs will be the responsibility of the customer in cases of buyer’s remorse returns, such as an item didn’t fit, didn’t like the color/quality, changed your mind, ordered by mistake, etc. If the return is a result of our error or defective product, we will refund the cost of the merchandise and any related shipping charges
Once your return is received, we will send you an email confirmation and will credit your original method of payment.
Returns and Exchanges should be sent to:
Champlain Orchards
Attn: Customer Care
3597 VT 74 West
Shoreham, VT 05770
For any questions, please reach out to marketing@champlainorchards.com
What’s available for Pick-Your-Own?
We’ve got you covered! Visit our PYO page to stay up to date on the latest availability through the summer and fall pick-your-own fruit seasons.
When are certain fruits ripe?
Visit our PYO page to stay up to date on the latest availability through the summer and fall pick-your-own fruit seasons.
- JULY: Cherries, Raspberries, Currants, Apricots
- EARLY AUGUST: Raspberries, Summer Plums, Blackberries, Currants, Elderberries
- MID AUGUST: Peaches, Summer Plums, Asian and European Pears, Early Apples, Elderberries, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots
- LATE AUGUST: Early Apples, Peaches, Nectarines, European Plums
- SEPTEMBER: Early Apples, Mid-Season Apples, Asian Pears, European Plums
- OCTOBER: Mid Apples, Asian Pears, Late Apples
What are the Prices for PYO Fruits"?
Visit our PYO page to stay up to date on the latest availability through the summer and fall pick-your-own fruit seasons.
Eco-Certified:
- Apples $5/half-peck, $10/peck, $18/half-bushel, $32/bushel
- Peaches and Nectarines $3.50/pint, $9/quarter-peck, $17/half-peck, $35/flat, $42/half-bushel
- Eco-Certified Cherries $4.99/pint
Eco-Certified Plums $9/quarter-peck, $17/half-peck, $35/flat, $42/half-bushel
Eco-Certified Asian Pears $5/quarter-peck, $10/half-peck, $18/peck, $34/half-bushel
Certified-Organic:
- Peaches $4/pint, $11/quarter-peck, $19/half-peck, $40/flat, $62/half-bushel
- Berries $5/pint
- Elderberries $12/lb
What does Eco-Apple mean & how does it compare to Organic?
Great question!
A quick answer to “what does Eco mean?”: It’s a third-party certification program verified by the IPM Institute, awarded to growers who follow the most environmentally-sensitive growing protocols possible in the Northeast.
A quick answer to “how does this compare to organic?”: It’s actually nearly impossible to grow organic tree fruit in our region; you’ll notice you almost never see locally grown organic apples at the grocery store. Eco is similar, in that it’s also a growing protocol designed to protect the environment, but it’s designed specifically for our climate. Eco is the most sustainable local-grown choice you can make.
Specifics for our orchard from horticulturist:
“We treat the orchard as an ecosystem and as such we try to do whatever we can to enhance its biodiversity and stability or balance. I learned at the beginning of my career (about 40 years ago) that the less I sprayed, the less I had to spray. We constantly scout through all of the orchards checking carefully, we’re looking at the health and general well being of the trees, soil moisture, the populations of beneficial and problem insects, indications of disease. We use traps of different types for insects we want to monitor closely. We use a couple different software programs to record and track degree days; we can predict insect emergence and disease potential using this information. When we determine that a particular insect population is reaching a level that threatens substantial damage or conditions for a major disease are likely we chose a material to spray. Sometimes these may be organically certified and sometimes not. We chose the material that will have the least impact on non-target organisms and disrupt the orchard ecosystem the least amount possible. A large percentage of our fruit goes into our ciders and baked goods so we can easily accept a higher percentage of blemished fruit than most other orchards. If anything, we tend to err on the side of spraying too little and taking risks many other orchards would not take. We’d rather risk the crop than the health of the people working here and the health of our families and customers. When I am making decisions in the orchard I always have in my mind the people that will be picking, our customers and their families throughout the Northeast, that I will be bringing this fruit home to my kids and grandkids and that we want the orchard itself to be healthy.
I realize this is a pretty general overview of our growing philosophy, the specifics change every year depending on many different conditions. A simple answer to the question, Do we spray less than conventional orchards would be yes, and we are focused on the environmental impact of the materials we use.”
What’s the deal with tours?
We're happy to offer private tours of our orchard, as well as private hard cider tastings. For information or to schedule, please call (802) 897-2777 x 303 or email us a sales@champlainorchards.com.
Can I bring my dog with me when I visit?
We love dogs, and you can absolutely bring your furry friends with you when you visit. They can hang out with you on all roads, in all parking lots, on our market porches, around the playground structure, and in the upper meadow. However, they may NOT accompany you into the rows while you’re picking, due to health regulations for fresh fruit. Please remember to pick up after them!
Is the cider gluten free?
Hard Cider: Yes, completely. Our hard cider is suitable for people with gluten intolerance and allergies — gluten doesn’t ever enter the cidery building.
Sweet Cider: Somewhat. While no gluten is ever added to our sweet cider, our pies are made in the same building and thus we cannot promise no cross-contamination.
I’m doing research/writing an article/looking for a quote or pictures, who do I contact?
Please direct all PR, photo, and general marketing requests to our marketing department: marketing@champlainorchards.com
If interested in our recipes page, please do not use any of the photos included there without permission from the original creator(s), as most don’t belong to us. Creators are credited at the bottom of each recipe.
Who do I contact about being a vendor or sponsor at my event?
All event/sponsorship/collaboration requests can be directed to our sales team: sales@champlainorchards.com.
I’m hoping to get a donation, who do I contact?
Donations are handled by Michelle Hogaboom. Contact her with all requests for donated items:michelle.hogaboom@champlainorchards.com
Do you make Apple Cider Vinegar?
Unfortunately, we do not make any vinegars, and have no plans to do so in the future. We recommend checking out Fable Farm or Shelburne Orchards if you are looking for an excellent, small-batch Vermont Apple Cider Vinegar.
Do you make any hard spirits?
No.
We are not licensed or set up to make any type of alcohol beyond hard cider. A local orchard that also makes apple brandy is Shelburne Orchards, with their Dead Bird Brandy.
Can I picnic at your orchard?
Absolutely! We would love to host you for a picnic during our business hours. We have picnic tables down by our market, in our cider garden, and up in the meadow by the Pick-Your-Own hut. Picnic tables are first-come, first-served, but if they are all full you are always more than welcome to spread out a blanket on the grass!
Alcohol consumption is limited to beverages purchased on-site only, and can only be consumed in our tasting room or cider garden area. Signs have been posted to mark the consumption boundaries; please be sure to adhere to these limits. Consumption outside of these designated areas is strictly prohibited and illegal.