Red Jacket Orchards is arguably the most widely recognized agricultural brand in the Finger Lakes, and the 2022 Gold for Best Apple Orchard only confirms what the region's farmers' market shoppers and natural food store customers already know. The orchard, which has been farming in the Geneva area since 1958, grows over fifty varieties of apples, stone fruits, and berries across hundreds of acres, and the cold-pressed juices and fruit products show up in grocery stores and farm stands across New York State. This is not a boutique operation — it is a serious farming enterprise that has scaled without sacrificing quality.

The farm store and u-pick experience offer a direct connection to the source that the bottled juices alone cannot provide. During apple season, the variety selection is staggering — well beyond what any supermarket stocks — and the stone fruit season earlier in summer is equally impressive, with peaches, plums, and apricots that taste nothing like their shipped-from-California counterparts. Red Jacket's commitment to sustainable farming practices and integrated pest management gives the produce a credibility that goes beyond flavor. For Finger Lakes visitors, a stop at Red Jacket is both a provisioning run (stock up on cider and fruit for the rental house) and an education in what the region's agricultural terroir can produce.