Maplewood Farm & Orchard

Darf Apple Trees & Trellis Project

Maplewood Farm & Orchard trace their roots back to 1815 when Duane LaFever’s ancestors, the Miller family, immigrated from Scottland and settled in Bovina Center, on what is today’s Miller Avenue. Proudly steeped in tradition, Duane & Karen continue to operate the family’s 104-acre maple farm, with the addition of the apple orchard and pumpkin patch.

Today the apple orchard is quickly becoming an area destination each fall, as the family opens its farmgate to guests near and far to experience the joys of apple picking, animal encounters, wagon rides to the pumpkin patch, and while children delight in games and panning for gold and gems, everyone can indulge in the treats offered up in the sugar house. This wasn’t always the case, as Karen muses “COVID did many things, but for us it was the propulsion we needed to move the farm forward”. In 2020, when all events and festivals were closed for the season, the farm needed to find a new way to market its maple products. Recognizing people’s need to connect during this time, the LaFever’s welcomed guests to the farm to get their maple fix from the farm store in the sugar house and connect with nature and one another while sharing the experience of apple picking in the then small apple orchard at a natural social distance.

That winter Duane & Karen knew it was time to expand the orchard and continue togrow this aspect of the farm, planting 200 new apple trees in the spring of ’21. With the help of the Delaware County Farm Enhancement Grant, they have continued to add over 385 more dwarf apple trees and trellis to their orchard, making apple picking easy and accessible to anyone who wishes a stroll through the orchard. With strategic plantings of delicious varieties such as Gala, Honey Crisp, Macoun, Liberty, Freedom and several other varieties, the picking season should extend throughout the fall, allowing families to enjoy country fun, stock-up on all their autumn needs, and enjoy the peace and beauty of the orchard and pumpkin patch from September to November.

The LaFever’s, along with their sons Cody and Cullen, are excited about the future and are working to expand their offerings with value-added apple products as the farm continues to grow.

Last updated June 17, 2025