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Nothing says fall fun like a trip to the orchard! And there are few places eco-friendlier than orchards. The wonderful, locally grown and possibly pesticide-free apples and cherries are positively delicious. The apple cider flows like a gurgling, ginger waterfall. You get plenty of exercise while you're at the orchard what with the reaching and the plucking and the carrying.
There are things that you must keep in mind while visiting orchards, things that are important to the environment and your health.
Here are some orchard visiting tips:
- Never pick more than you can eat. This should be kept in mind with any food that you harvest or buy. Don't bring home six bags of apples if you can only eat one. That's just wasteful.
- Hayrides and corn mazes are all pollution-free and organic sources of fun for the whole family.
- Learn to make apple butter, apple cider, etc. at the orchard. Learning to make your own organic foods from local sources reduces dependence on foods that have to be shipped in via gas-guzzling trucks.
- Don't climb the trees. Although you might want to get a juicy piece of fruit hanging from the top branch, don't climb the tree to get it. A broken branch can seriously damage the amount of food that the tree can produce in the future.
Find out if the orchard uses pesticides. You don't want your children plucking pesticide-laden fruit from trees and eating them. Many open-to-the-public orchards are pesticide-free, but call ahead before you visit to find out for sure.
Bonus: If the orchard has pig races, never bet on a pig named Zeke.
More on Green Travel:
Travel Guilt-Free Through Green Volunteerism
Focus On Focus Earth: The Dangers Of Eco-Tourism
5 Ways to Green Your Trip Preparation
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