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Enter the farm through the Route-537 entrance by the American flag.
Follow the cones and signs towards the parking area. Park along the designated barriers (tree-line, rope, cones, etc.) at a 45-degree angle so that you can easily back out and exit in the proper direction. On busy weekends, there will be parking attendants to assist you. For safety reasons, there is very rarely two-way traffic. We will never send you out the same path used to enter the farm. After parking, head towards the green check-out booths (or the tent area if it's set up) to begin picking. Our sales workers will provide you with bags for your produce. We also have a limited number of wheelbarrows for your convenience. The sales associates will point you in the direction of the appropriate picking areas. Near the entrance, there will also be a large white sign with information about what we are picking on that day. Eastmont employs a color-coding system in which we tag trees with colored ribbons to help identify the variety. For more information on this system, check out the peach & apple sections. Once you're done, make your way to the green checkout booths to pay for your produce. Enjoy your delicious fruit! 
How can I get in touch with you? When is the picking season, and what are your hours? How do I get to Eastmont Orchards? How do you charge for the fruit, and what are the prices? What are the accepted forms of payment? Do you offer senior or volume discounts? How much can one bag hold? Do you supply containers? What is the parking procedure? Do you provide handicap parking? Do you have pre-picked produce? How do I pick peaches? How do I store peaches? How do I freeze peaches? How do I pick apples? How do I store apples? What causes the yellow, translucent color in the flesh at the center of the apple? Did they freeze? Do you offer guided tours of the orchard? Are the trees sprayed? Are pets allowed in the orchard? Do you have bathroom facilities? Do you have food available at the orchard? Can we picnic on the premises? What are the employment opportunities at Eastmont? What do you do with all the apples on the ground? [ Q ] How can I get in touch with you? All methods of contacting Eastmont Orchards can be found on the contact page. If you read over this web page, you will probably find the answers to all of your questions. [back to questions] [ Q ] When is the picking season and what are your hours? The orchard is open to pick-your-own customers beginning around mid-July and usually ending with the completion of October. Our hours are highly dependent upon weather and supply conditions. The standard hours for the orchard are 9AM - 5PM on weekdays and 9AM - 6PM on Saturday & Sunday. For a more specific schedule of the individual picking seasons, check out the sections for peaches, apples, corn, and pumpkins. Under some circumstances, we may be forced to open late or close early. Remember, ALWAYS CALL JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I get to Eastmont Orchards? Get directions here. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do you charge for the fruit and what are the prices? Eastmont charges by the pound for everything except sunflower heads and ornamental Indian corn. We cannot list the prices online due to the fact that they may change from year to year or perhaps even mid-season. For the most up to date prices on what we are picking, call 732-542-5404. [back to questions] [ Q ] What are the accepted forms of payment? Eastmont Orchards accepts only cash, traveler's check, and personal checks. Personal checks must have a valid driver's license number and telephone number printed on them to be accepted. WE DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you offer senior or volume discounts? No, we do not. We have one low, season-long price. Although rare, we do sometimes offer special sales at the end of a particular picking season. [back to questions] [ Q ] How much can one bag hold? The apple bags we provide hold about 20 lbs safely (a half-bushel.) Peach bags hold the same when full. Be careful not to overfill the bags as they could break or cause bruising on the bottom fruits. Also, please be respectful to Eastmont & its customers, and DO NOT PICK MORE THAN YOU CAN PAY FOR. The fruit cannot be put back on the trees! [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you supply containers? As mentioned above, our sales staff will provide you with plastic bags when you enter the picking area. We also have a limited number of wheelbarrows for your convenience. We would prefer that you use either the bags we provide or bags of your own. Other containers will need to be tared to compensate for the additional weight. [back to questions] [ Q ] What is the parking procedure? If you read the P.Y.O. instructions at the top of this page, it should answer most of your questions regarding the parking setup. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you provide handicap parking? Yes. If there are parking attendants available they can direct you to a location close to either the orchard entrance or the checkout booths. If no attendant is available, have someone in your vehicle ask a member of our sales staff in the booth area. Please keep in mind that this is a pick-your-own farm, and you will likely have to cover a modest distance while picking. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you have pre-picked produce? Yes, new to the 2006 season, we offer freshly-picked corn. We have white, yellow, and bi-color varieties. Also, during the fall months of the apple season, we have a corn trailer with ornamental Indian corn near the checkout booths. Occasionally we also have a small number of gourds and pumpkins in display crates near the checkout. We do not, however, have any pre-picked bags of peaches or apples available and unfortunately cannot offer that service. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I pick peaches? As you enter, inquire with our sales associates about the designated picking area. When you find a ripe peach or nectarine, grasp the stem between your index finger and thumb. Give it a slight twist and gentle tug. Please do not yank the fruit off the tree, as it causes others to fall off and can easily break the branch. For more information on identifying ripe peaches and nectarines, check out the peach section. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I store peaches? Peaches taste best when they are not refrigerated, but if they ripen early and you want to keep them longer, you will have to either refrigerate them or freeze them. Peaches freeze particularly well. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I freeze peaches? Peel the fruit; you may find that blanching the peaches first makes skin removal easier. Slice the peaches and remove the pits. You may also want to sprinkle them with sugar according to your tastes. Place the slices in a totally full (no air) plastic freezer container and freeze right away. We recommend adding Fruit Fresh (available in the canning supplies section of most super markets) to inhibit browning of the fruit. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I pick apples? As you enter, inquire with our sales associates about the designated picking area(s). When you find a ripe apple, grasp the stem between your index finger and thumb. Give it a slight twist and gentle tug. Please do no yank the fruit off the tree, as it causes others to fall off and can easily break the branch. For more information on identifying ripe apples, check out the apple section. [back to questions] [ Q ] How do I store apples? Apples are best kept refrigerated whenever possible. They can be kept for several months if refrigerated at a temperature as close to 32-degrees as possible. [back to questions] [ Q ] What causes the yellow translucent color in the flesh at the center of the apple? Did they freeze? No, they did not freeze. This phenomenon is called "water core" or "sugar core." It is caused by very high sugar content that occurs more often in the early varieties like Red Delicious, Empire, and Jonathan. They are perfectly good to eat but will not store as well as the later varieties available in October. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you offer guided tours of the orchard? No, unfortunately we cannot offer tours or hay rides. [back to questions] [ Q ] Are the trees sprayed? Yes, Eastmont Orchards follows the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) guidelines set forth by the state and federal governments. The guidelines dictate the use of pesticides based on the observation of diseases and insects. The produce made available to our customers is always safe to eat right off the tree. Nevertheless, it's always a good idea to wash the fruit in cold water before consumption. [back to questions] [ Q ] Are pets allowed in the orchard? For sanitary and safety reasons, we cannot allow animals in the orchard or parking area. There are parks in the immediate vicinity where you can entertain your pets. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you have bathroom facilities? Yes, we have clean portable toilets placed near the parking area There is no running water available. [back to questions] [ Q ] Do you have food available at the orchard? Occasionally, on the fall weekends, friends of ours set up a food concession stand in the parking lot. We do not manage this service. [back to questions] [ Q ] Can we picnic on the premises? Again, for sanitary and safety concerns we discourage picnics at the orchard, especially in the parking lot. Our parking areas are limited on busy weekends, and picnicking can severely hamper the steady flow of traffic. Dorbrook Park is 1/4-mile east of the orchard on the same side of Route 537. They have picnic tables, plenty of play areas for children and pets, and bathroom facilities. [back to questions] [ Q ] What are the employment opportunities at Eastmont? During the harvest season we are often in need of part-time sales, parking, and maintenance staff. If you are interested, please inquire at the sales booths. [back to questions] [ Q ] What do you do with all of the apples on the ground? For the most part -- nothing. Friends and employees sometimes use a small portion of the drops to attract deer. However, since Eastmont does not export or distribute any of its produce (everything is pick-your-own,) the majority of it just decomposes to become part of the soil.
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