Aamodt’s Apple Farm

This place developed the apple crisp through the UMN so that’s is their claim to fame. I like this apple farm because they usually have a lot going on. The apple donuts aren’t as good as some other spots but they do have a large barn area with a lot of baked goods, apple cider and apple butter. Outside are food stands for apple brats, mulled wine and delicious popcorn made with pure vanilla and brown sugar.
There’s always plenty of space to sit and eat, and if you have kids there are hay rides and trucks for the minis. Also goats. Really really cute goats. It’s s great spot for family or a fall day, and with the vineyard right next door there’s something for adults as well as kids.

Aamodt’s used to be at the top of my list. But now that I’ve explored other orchards, I’m feeling more meh about it. I’ve also realized that the things I liked were counteracted by unlikeable factors at the same time. It’s a seasonal see-​saw.
A few things that won me over:
— Free and easy parking
— The opportunity to pick your own apples
— The shared vineyard
— Chris’ apple brat (see photo!)
But now, here are all of the yings to them yangs:
— Though the parking was easy, everything else was unorganized once entering. Like where to get the apple bags, how much they cost, what apples to pick, etc.
— The apples were very limited, you were only allowed to pick one type off of certain trees, which were consequently super picked over
— The Vineyard is actually totally separate and treated as such
— The apple brat is freaking delicious, no qualms about that. But my next point is that everything there is pretty pricey. I expect that with something that I invest in only once a year, but I recall the price (cash only) of one apple bag really crossed my price threshold. Like leaped over it.
Maybe I’ll give them another shot if I notice their priced become more reasonable and they give pickers more options.

We went at opening on a Friday morning. It didn’t really seem open. None of the activities were open. Only the retail barn. We went to pick apples and the two rows they said were ok to pick from were all rotted. Not enough to do for a bunch of toddlers. Maybe we missed something but there was no one around to ask if there was more to it…

I wish they would let you pick your own apples… not that it being past the season stopped anyone from my group. It was the perfect day to spend at an orchard. I wish they had a little more to offer activity wise but it was a cheap way to spend a few hours outside. Most of the stuff was pretty much for the kids. Well couples and adults like fall days at orchards too. Also when you go on the vineyard tour you don’t get to taste the wines. You have to buy a full glass. LAME. Maybe I would have purchased a bottle if I could have tried more than their pinot gris. I might try other orchards before coming back here. This is the only orchard I have been to since I was a kid so maybe I was expecting too much and was blinded by childhood nostalgia.

Apple Beef stick was very complimentary to my warm apple cider! Very nostalgic aesthetic with natural woods and various apple options too try. Located right next to the St. Croix winery. Just before downtown Stillwater with its own private parking.

Well, I have to say that I have been to more than a few apple orchards. So, I would have to say that this one is okay. Our company did a good job to get us tickets for the maze and hay ride. Plus, they had Sam’s Club to advertise and give out goodie bags for the adults. However, I felt the farm was a bit lacking in terms of apple trees and my favorite varieties. I am used to a wide variety like the one I visited in Iowa near Ames. Plus, my own memories in Massachusetts and New Hampshire always put a smile on my face. But, this one is more for the kids but at least my girlfriend got to experience it here. The food was also a bit disappointing since the apple kraut didn’t see to have any apple in it. However, I thought the desserts were a bit better. The apple cinnamon donut was good as well as the muffin. I didn’t think much of the apple pie but the cinnamon ice cream was very good. Overall, I think you do this for the kids and just enjoy the apples that they do have here. I liked the SweeTango and Honeycrisp so at least they had these. I would have liked Gala and Fuji apples as well.

Ok ill confess I have never been to an apple orchard so I really have nothing to compare this to.
It was a cute little place… expected it to be bigger. I have to start with the staff everyone we encounter today seemed like they hated their job. Starting with the guys in the parking lot they did not direct anybody anywhere sat on a barrel of hey and every few cars pointed, also the kid driving the tractor ride for the kids ($ 3 a child) he just seemed like he hate being there I appreciate that there’s no admittance fee. And they had a huge great selection inside their store the Apple donuts are delicious would go back just for them. And all the prices seem reasonable. There wasn’t much of a selection for picking our own apples, and nothing was marked, plus all the fruit from the bottom of the trees were gone and no way to get the apples off the top of the trees. It was a fun first experience, I will try it again but only after experiencing a few other orchards around town. I want to give it more stars but feel something is wrong someplace were every staff member was that miserable, I guess they all could have been having a bad day.

This place is large and very busy. It is on the same grounds as the winery so that is exciting! If you have toddlers this is a great place to take them — a lot of open space where they can run off some energy. They can view the goats and take a hayride for around 2.00. There was big rolls of hay they can climb and play on. They do have some limited food choices –apple brats — i thought they were a little on the expensive side of life. 7.00 for a loaded brat. The parking and admission are free.

This is a cute little apple farm to visit for part of the day. I have to say, next time I will probably drive a little further over to Pine Tree if I have a hankering for some apples.
— Plenty of parking
— Honeycrisp apples
–Baked goods: Apple Crisp (meh), Donuts, Cookies
–Caramel Apples
–Jams
–Salsa
Out in the little market area they have kettel corn for sale, apple brats, hot dogs, wine and other drinks.
Hay rides
Mazes
Goats
Playground
Friendly Staff
It’s cute and wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be. Nice afternoon visit.

I remember coming here since I was five years old – 33 years ago! I remember eating warmed apple pie a la mode in the beautiful upstairs loft of the barn, staring out the windows over acres of apple trees. I remember thanking the trees for being there, thanking the pie for being there, thanking the pie lady for giving me the pie, and not thanking my mom for wiping the ice cream schmutz off my cherubic chin.
Picking apples is nice, but really, ignore the utilitarian value for a moment and realize that this is a place to JUST BE. Seriously, close your eyes and explore the apple scent and the wood scent with your sniffer. Go outside and do the same. Smell the leaves and feel the warm, dry, Minnesota fall sunshine on your neck.
Isn’t it great???
There was no winery then, just apples. I don’t think they had a petting zoo either. I appreciate both. Who doesn’t want to tip back a bottle of pinot with one hand, whilst petting a dirty goat with the other. I’m not being facetious.
The crowds can be a bit daunting in apple season, so try to take deep breaths, especially if you’re a dad with a lot of testosterone and little patience.
Also, a great German restaurant is just down the road. So save a little room for Gasthaus, which means «house of gas.»
I don’t get nostolgic about too many places, but Aamodts was part of a family tradition in my favorite season.

Bad experience. Came and the staff was very rude in explaining the procedure on how to pick and buy the apples. The sign that explained on picking and buying the apples was not very clear and after going out and picking apples, apparently we were suppose to buy a bag (which the staff told us we were suppose to do but was never explained about), no one was outside to help us with this.
The pricing is very outrageous! $ 33 for a bag of apples that you apparently can only pick one type or the ones thy want you to. I have been to other orchards and I would have to say this was bad and very unappealing. Won’t be coming back. Ever.

Was very excited to go apple picking, disappointed when we got there. The workers were not very friendly and not much help. Will not return.

As far as apple orchards, it’s good, but not the same as the ones in Ellijay, GA or the Finger Lakes of NY. The wines are fine for the table, but Napa they are not. However, they are not that far behind the North Shore of Long Island or the Finger Lakes of NY. Still a very pleasant break from the Twins, and the staff is incredibly personable and charming. A very nice break in the fall. It is kid friendly with the hay rides and other activities.

Nice place to visit. No pick your own. 2 years in a row had no pick your own without warning customers. I drove 40 minutes and had to leave and go to another place. I will not be returning, ever. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Just popped in here yesterday to blow away an hour or two. The apples weren’t ready for the general populace to pick quite yet so the activities were limited.
However, this snag allowed me to have a lot less ADD in the inside ‘gift shop’ area, and I took the time to thoroughly browse through the products. We ended up purchasing a jar of honey butter.
I think we can all agree that honey butter is delicious, period, amirite?
Yeah… you haven’t tried this one. Holy catnuts.
It’s divine-​being approved and nothing short of an orgasm in your mouth. Get some.
Their prices on their honey in general were reasonable (especially considering the fact that most shit in grocery stores isn’t real honey anymore) and I intend on purchasing more when we return. They have small sample sticks for .30 cents a piece for each variety so you don’t end up stuck with a massive tub of mediocrity.
Moral of the story? Honey butter.
… You needs it.

Pleasant little apple orchard with a rustic country store selling all sorts of apple goodies. The crowds were not bad, though Labor Day likely is not representative of peak season.
However… Apparently, Aamodt’s limits customers to picking one type of apple, even if others are ripe. Maybe this is common practice. Having gone to several fabulous u-​pick orchards in upstate NY, I have never experienced this. I wanted to try all of the varieties that were ripe but we were instead limited to the «State Fair» apple.
Now, about my experience with these State Fair apples. There were big beautiful red ones on the branches. And there were also smaller green ones, some with redish-​pinkish striping. I assume the red ones were more mature and intended for picking rather than the undeveloped green ones. We sampled a red one. It was mealy and lacked crispness. Very disappointing, so we tried the littler green ones. These were much better, at least in terms of crispness. It was more tart than sweet, but not to the same extent as a Granny Smith. I still am not convinced that the green ones were the appropriate ones for picking but I certainly wasn’t going to return home with a bag full of reds that would end up being chucked into the back woods for the squirrels and rabbits to enjoy. At least the greenies were edible.

I came here on my way home from Stillwater. I needed lots of apples for all the baking I planned to do. This is the place to go. The staff were friendly and helpful about the uses for the different apples. They also offered good sized samples of all the varieties on offer that day so you knew what was under those bright red, shiny skins. Like many orchards, this place is packed with other value-​added, apple-​based products. From cider to donuts to pies to caramel apples, they’ve got everything you can think of. The cider looked delicious, but it’s spendy.
If you’ve heard that orchards are bare because of the early frost this spring, never fear: they have at least a few groves where you can still pick your own, but definitely call ahead! They have a VERY helpful voicemail message that will answer all of your questions.
Also, if you’re tired of all the places that are just for families and kids, but you (or your kids) are all grown up, sneak across the parking lot to the St. Croix Vineyard’s winery. Wine tastings are free on weekdays and cheap on weekends ( Unilocaler’s who check in with the mobile app get a special deal, hint hint!).

Sponsel’s in Jordan is much better as far as apple orchards go.
Admission is free here, and that is a plus. The petting zoo only has 3 goats, the hay maze is beaten down, the orchard is picked through, just not much going on. I feel like they could create a Sever’s Corn Maze type atmosphere here with more things to do AND CHARGE ADMISSION. You get what you pay for.
Take my advice and head down 169 to Sever’s, spend the $ 14 a person for more things to do, then keep driving to Sponsel’s for apples and a fresh out of the oven apple pie.

Aamodt’s AHH-​mazing! This year was the second consecutive year I’ve done the whole apple orchard thing, and I don’t think I will be able to live through anymore fall seasons without a trip to Aamodt’s. There is something to do for the whole family. There are activities for the kids and a wine tasting/​bar for the adults.
The barn is filled with bins of their delicious apples, fresh apple baked goods, jellies, jams, honey and more! Outside you can sample each of their varieties of apples or purchase apple cider, apple brats or kettle corn.
Aamodt’s is the home of the St. Croix Vineyard. The wine’s are awesome, plus it’s cool to buy wine directly from the vineyard. I will be making a second trip back this year for a few bottles before they close in December. There is a large selection of wines, reds, whites, desert and my personal favorite of theirs, Apple wine.
If you are looking for a fun fall afternoon for the whole family, or a relaxing, amazing glass of wine outside on a fall day I highly recommend Aamodt’s!

My time back in Minnesota visiting friends and family has been filled with lovely memories of my youth and of time past. I’ve been sharing these memories with my closest friends kids and enjoying every minute of it!
Today, my closest friend and confidant’s son (4 year old) and I headed to Aamodt’s Apple Farm to check out the orchard and all of the varieties of apples, honey, play area, and the goats… yes goats! It was a wonderful day!
We purchased Cortland, Honey Crisp, Haralson, and Gala apples. We also purchased Buckwheat honey, Wild Flower and Pure honey.
Apple Overview:
Cortland: Cortland is a cultivar of apple. After the many attributes of McIntosh were discovered, plant breeders began crossing it with other varieties to enhance its traits. One of the earliest was the Cortland, combined with the Ben Davis variety. Its flavor is sweet compared to McIntosh, and it has a flush of crimson against a pale yellow background sprinkled with short, dark red stripes and gray-​green dots.
Cortland has very white flesh and is an excellent dessert apple.
Haralson:The Haralson is a cultivar of apple that is medium-​sized and has a round-​conic shape. It has a red color and large, moderately conspicuous dots. Haralson apples are crisp and juicy, having a tart flavor. They are good for eating, cooking, and are an excellent choice for pies. The skin is medium-​tough, and the stem is medium.
Honeycrisp: Honeycrisp (Malus domestica ‘Honeycrisp’) is an apple cultivar developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station’s Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
In 2006, the Andersen Elementary school in Bayport petitioned for the Minnesota state legislature to make the Honeycrisp apple the state fruit; the bill was passed in May 2006.
Gala: Gala is a clonally propagated apple with a mild and sweet flavor. Gala apples ranked at number 3 in 2003 on the US Apple Association’s list of most popular apples, after Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, and before Fuji. Gala apples are small and are usually red with a portion being greenish or yellow-​green, vertically striped. Gala apples are fairly resistant to bruising and are sweet, grainy, with a mild flavor and a thinner skin than most apples. Quality indices include firmness, crispness, and sweetness.