November 18-19 Weekend - Apple picking still open
Looking for something fun to do in September and October?
Our fall activities start with apple picking in last August. We have 25 varieties of apples for you to pick. The early varieties start ripening in late August, with new varieties ripening about every other week through October. In addition, we have plenty of other fun activities for the whole family. Corn Maze will open September 16 and Pumpkin Patch will open September 23. Corn Maze and Pumpkins have closed for the season.
The Following Activities are available Weekends through November 19, weather permitting. Check in each week as we may extend longer as we have a lot of apples…
Apple picking
At the dairy, watch our cows being milked with our robotic milker or pet the calves
Visit the calves
Note: All Fall Activities are open Weekends only
Apple Picking
We have several thousand apple trees in our orchard. Recently, we planted the next block of high density apple orchard with another 3,000 trees that use wires to hold up the trees, similar to a vineyard.
Apples are a good source of fiber, high in Vitamin C and potassium and low in sodium. Remember "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"!
At Rock Hill, we want your picking experience to bring lasting memories for your family. Our trees are pruned so you can pick without ladders.
Want to know what that white stuff is on the apples? Read about how we use Surround as part of our Sustainability effort.
Go to our Apple page for the availability and pricing.
Corn Maze
Have fun with the extended family at the largest corn maze in Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve. Each year, we design a new maze. For 2023, we are using a circular labyrinth and the corn maze is 15 acres.
One paid corn maze admission gets you unlimited same-day entries.
Younger than Three Years Old is Free
Children 12 years old and younger must be accompanied into the maze by an adult
The maze is open on Saturdays and Sundays through the first weekend in November
Last entry into the maze is at 2:30pm.
Pumpkin Cannon
Pumpkin Chunkin - Our own world champion pumpkin cannon, Hormone Blaster, will be chunkin pumpkins most weekends. Try your skill at launching a pumpkin and see if you hit the target! Our cows will thank you as they get to eat whatever lands on the ground the following week. Don't worry, the cows are in a separate field so they will be safe.
How does a Pumpkin Cannon Work
Our "punkin chunkin" machine uses compressed air to send the pumpkin across the field. The large tank uses compressed air filled to about 25 psi for target shooting and when the valve is opened, all the air in the tank is expelled all at once. So even though there isn't a lot of pressure, there is a lot of air for a small pumpkin. For competitions, our cannon would be filled to around 150 psi which requires both a trailer-mounted air compressor as well as several air tanks filled to 400 psi. The valve itself uses compressed air around 100-125 psi (similar to what an air tool uses) to quickly open the valve. The faster the valve is open, the further the pumpkin will go. The barrel will take a pumpkin up to 8" in diameter and we have a ring that we take into the field when looking for that "perfect" pumpkin for distance shots. For shooting at the farm, we use "Cannonball" sized pumpkins.
Steps to shoot the Pumpkin Cannon
- Pick the pumpkin to fire
- Load the pumpkin in the barrel and make sure the opening is closed
- Fill the big tank full of compressed air
- Ring the air horn to tell everyone around that the cannon is about to be fired.
- Call "Fire in the Hole"
- Push the lever which sends air from the air compressor to open the air valve to let all the air from the tank
- Watch the pumpkin hit the target!
How far can it go?
Our pumpkin cannon, Hormone Blaster, set world records for the Adult Female division in both 2010 and 2013 and was world champion in 2010. 2013’s shoot was 4,382.96 feet!