Champlain Orchards School and Group Tours

General Information

Each tour includes a complete walkthrough of the orchard and the packing house with an emphasis on a specific topic of your choice.  Each tour is approximately one hour in length, costs $5.00/participant, and includes a five pound tote bag of apples and a glass of cider. Teachers and bus drivers are complimentary. Please fill out the form below or contact us at elissa@champlainorchards.com or at (802) 897-2777 to schedule your tour.

Tour Content

Each tour will be tailored to the appropriate age level. The tour will be led by Andrea Scott, one of our workers, and a certified educator. It will include the following topics:

• Overview of a working orchard
• Information on apple varieties, development, etc.
• How an apple gets from the tree to the package
• What it takes to be an orchardist
• How to run an orchard effectively

** Please Note: Tours can be modified to meet the needs of individual classes.  Please provide feedback as we look forward to better serving all participants.  Thank you!

What to Expect

• Outside tour of the orchard
• Inside tour of the packing facility (cider press and bakery depending on group size)
• Picnic Tables available for lunch break
• Handicapped accessible bathrooms
• Students may pick one bag of apples in the Pick Your Own area (included in tour price)
• Cider tasting

What to Bring

• Baseball caps for inside tour of the facility
• Permanent marker to mark individual totes of apples with child’s name
• Lunch to enjoy at the picnic tables
• Willingness to learn and have fun!

Service Option for Month of September

This Hunger Action Month we will be participating in a project called “Pick for your Neighbor” put on by the Vermont Foodbank. You can come and pick extra apples, pay for them, and donate them at the register for needy people. If you are looking for a service project for your kids this might be a great option!