Ellijay, GA |

Every fall, thousands of visitors make their way to the North Georgia mountains for one sweet reason: apples. At R&A Orchards, a family-run farm in Ellijay, apple season is in full swing with more than thirty varieties harvested each year.

“Here on the farm, we’ve got 160 acres of fruit trees—140 in apples and 20 in peaches,” says owner Andy Futch. “From July through November, we pick about 32 different varieties of apples.”

This year’s crop, Futch says, has been especially strong thanks to favorable growing conditions.

“We’ve had a good growing season,” he explains. “We were very lucky back in April when it dropped to about 30 degrees, but it didn’t do us any harm. We’ve got a good crop of apples, and we’re about halfway through with harvest.”

But R&A Orchards isn’t just about producing apples—it’s also a destination for agritourism. Families can come pick apples, cut flowers, and enjoy activities like wagon rides and a “cow train” tour through the orchard.

“We do U-pick apples every Saturday and Sunday,” Futch says. “We also have a flower field of zinnias, cosmos, wildflowers, and sunflowers. People can ride the wagons through the orchard to the U-pick pavilion, buy their bags, and pick their apples.”

On top of that, the farm’s market and bakery offer a wide variety of homemade goods crafted from their own produce—apple butter, jelly, cider, and of course, freshly baked apple pies.

“At our market we’re open seven days a week with a full bakery and café,” says Futch. “Anything apple-related—cider, butter, jelly—it’s all made from the fruit we grow here.”

For visitors, it’s more than just a shopping trip. It’s an experience that connects people to Georgia agriculture while celebrating the state’s apple harvest.

By: John Holcomb