Useful Links

Listed below are links to other websites offering information for both the professional and backyard apple and fruit grower.

Ashe County Farmers’ Market – More and more people nationwide are beginning to understand and appreciate the importance of locally-grown produce available through their nearby Farmers’ Market. Here in Ashe County we have what we believe to be one of the best Farmers’ Market in North Carolina. Visit us on Saturday’s in our protected Market shelter where you can purchase some the finest fresh produce and marvel at the most creative arts and crafts to be found anywhere. At our Market everything is exclusively “Hand-made and Home-Grown” in Ashe County.

Ashe County Cooperative Extension – Much of the success we enjoy at Big Horse Creek Farm can be attributed to our close working relationship with Ashe County Cooperative Extension. If we have questions or concerns about our farm operation, the talented and educated staff at the County Extension office are always willing to help. Visit the local Cooperative Extension office in your county for assistance with your horticultural questions.

Above the River Cabin Rental & Real Estate – Our friends Michelle Handler & Jack Apple sell real estate in Ashe County and Grayson County, Virginia, and also have available to rent a brand new vacation rental cabin on the river near West Jefferson – it has 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, hot tub, walking trails, sleeps 8 – and more!

Enjoy NC Apples – North Carolina is one of the larger producers of high quality apples in the country and with good reason – our cool mountain nights and long sunny summer days make for excellent growing conditions. Visit this website to find out all you need to know about our great North Carolina apples.

Apple Journal – An excellent site for locating fruit orchards throughout the country. Good links with great information about our favorite fruit.

Cummins Nursery – A fine orchard and nursery operation in Geneva, New York, offering a wide range of fruit and ornamental trees.

Virginia Apple Page – This is a website of Virginia Tech University which offers an amazing amount of useful information for both the experienced and novice apple grower.

Virtual Orchard – Another website dedicated to apple growers seeking to expand their knowledge. Visit here to subscribe to Apple-Crop, a very useful listserve.

NAFEX – The North American Fruit Explorers is a group of fruit enthusiasts from across the country dedicated to exploring and sharing knowledge about fruits of every kind.

Cyndi’s Catalog of Garden Catalogs – For an incredible listing of every garden catalog imaginable, visit this wonderful site. Great for home growers and commercial interests alike.

The Permaculture Activist – Keith Johnson has created an amazingly diverse site addressing the connection of people and our planet. The Permaculture Activist offers an ever-growing Planetary Permaculture Directory, lists of contacts for nurseries and seed sources, a large catalog of useful books, articles from the magazine, links to Permaculture mailing lists and Institutes and much more.

Herbs and Apples – Michael Phillips, author of the very informative and highly respected book, The Apple Grower, has created a very unique website devoted to organic apple growing and herbal healing. As quoted on his fascinating website, “On our organic farm our emphasis is entirely on Green consciousness and medicinal integrity.”

Willamette Nurseries – This company is the source for the high quality rootstock we use in our grafting work. Devin and Allison Cooper at Willamette Nurseries work hard to produce some of the finest rootstock available and offer a wide array of selections for both professional nurserymen as well as the small home orchard grower. To produce strong, healthy young trees, start with the best rootstock available from Willamette Nurseries.

Orange Pippin – One of the most comprehensive and in-depth apple websites you can find! Full of useful and intriguing information about our favorite fruit. There is more apple information here than you can read in a single day!