Richfield used to be the home of three family orchards. Now, only one remains. When the Torma family purchased the ice cream store in 1978, they also purchased 25 acres of the orchard from the original Holeski farm and changed the name to Country Maid Orchard. The original Holeski orchard was over 80 acres; the remaining land was sold for residential housing on the east side of Black Road.
Country Maid Orchard includes over 2,000 apple, peach, pear, and plum trees, along with some vegetables, blueberry bushes, and raspberry bushes. Except for the small orchard right behind the ice cream store, all of the land is protected by an eight-foot electrical fence. This is necessary to defend the delicate apple shoots from local deer populations, especially during the winter months.
Managing and maintaining an orchard is very difficult work. Planting, pruning, spraying, harvesting, and marketing the fruit has been the lifelong work of Steve Torma, proving a very challenging, but fulfilling, career. The Tormas hope to continue running the orchard, and just recently planted 600 dwarf apple trees on the corner of Black Road. Like the ice cream store, the orchard is very grateful for the loyalty and support of the Richfield community over the years.
Harvest Times
Like all fruit growers, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature to predict harvest times. However, here is when we expect to harvest our current crop based on past records.
Peaches: Early Aug
Blueberries: Mid Jul-Aug
Raspberries: Mid Jul-Aug
Tomatoes: Aug
Beans: Aug
Jersey Mac Apples: Mid Aug
Paula Red Apples: Late Aug
Peppers: Sep
Mollies Apples: Early Sep
Pears & Plums: Early Sep
McIntosh Apples: Early Sep
Fuji Apples: Early-Mid Sep
Gala Apples: Early-Mid Sep
Cortland Apples: Mid Sep
Johnathan Apples: Late Sep
Red Delicious Apples: Late Sep
Empire Apples: Early Oct
Jonagold Apples: Early-Mid Oct
Melrose Apples: Early-Mid Oct
Gold Delicious Apples: Early-Mid Oct
Rome Apples: Mid-Late Oct
Stayman Apples: Mid-Late Oct
Mutsu Apples: Late Oct
Country Maid Ice Cream & Orchard 