About Us
Hidden Gem Orchard is a no-frills apple orchard located in the Purchase section of Southbury, CT. It was established in 2017 on land that was formerly part of the Southbury Training School farm. It currently consists of 4,000 apple trees grown on 6 acres. Approximately 3,000 trees were planted over a two-year period in 2017 and 2018. Smaller amounts were planted in subsequent years.
Presently, 32 apple varieties are grown with more being added each year. Some are “common” varieties that consumers are generally aware of such as Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Gala, Cortland and Fuji. Others are either uncommon or antique apples that are scarcely available. Examples include varieties such as Esopus Spitzenburg, which was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apple grown at Monticello. Pink Pearl - a red fleshed apple. Hudson Golden Gem – an apple that looks and tastes like a pear. Porters Perfection and Golden Russet, both antique varieties coveted for making premium hard cider. And two new releases from the Cornell Apple Breeding Program that were recently named in 2020 (Cordera and Firecracker). Additional varieties were planted in 2021 including a 16th century French variety (Calville Blanc), prized for pastries and baking, and Wickson, a variety that produces intensely flavored miniature apples. In summation, it’s a one-of-a-kind medley of apples whose melody is still being written.
All the trees are grafted on dwarfing rootstock which limits tree size and maximizes planting density. Trees are grown on what is called a Vertical Axe planting system; a training method developed in France in the 1970s by J.M. Lespinasse. The Vertical Axe tree is made up of a 10-12 ft tall vertical trunk, along which shorter fruiting branches are regularly distributed. The tree shape tends to be conical (like a Christmas tree). In this system, trees are tall and relatively narrow. They are spaced closely together to form a continuous canopy down the tree row. The main advantage is it allows for maximum sunlight interception which is needed for photosynthesis – the process by which plants obtain their energy and food supply.
Trees planted in 2017 produced their first crop in 2019, and production will increase annually as more trees come in to bearing. Apples were sold directly to the public for the first time in 2021 at an on-site farm stand that stays open from September to November.
As of 2023, the orchard is open for pick your own apples during the harvest season. We offer a non-commercial country experience at HGO. This means there are no forms of agritaiment other than the hay wagon ride that takes people on a scenic route to and from the orchard. If you are looking for a quite and bucolic orchard setting with a wide array of great tasting apples, then HGO might just be the place for you!
Hidden Gem began diversifying in 2021 with the addition of vineyard for production of table grapes (the kind you eat). Four kinds of seedless grapes including red, green and purple varieties are in the ground with two currently in production. The first grapes will be available in 2024.
Hidden Gem Orchard is owned by James Wargo of Woodbury CT. He grew up in Woodbury and obtained a B.S. degree in Horticulture from The University of Connecticut. He went on to achieve a Master of Science in Pomology (fruit science) from Cornell University. James has worked in various roles in the fruit industry in the eastern half of the United States for the past 21 years primarily in applied field research and product development. He currently works full time in sales for an agricultural products company based in California.
After living away from Connecticut for nearly 20 years, James returned to his native state in 2017 to embark on a lifelong dream of owning and operating his own fruit farm. He is happy to say it is a dream fulfilled!