Great pre baked apple pies and a bag of juicing apples to go. Farmstand doing brisk pre-holiday business. Curious to try some of the other products as I have questions about growing our own apples. Alas, our children devoured the apple pie before Thanksgiving; leftover pies was delicious! Alex Dowse responded to my text inquiring about the slim possibility we might get a pecan pie on TKSGVG. read more

If you're looking for hayrides, cider, donuts, a petting zoo, or an 'experience' you might not love Dowse. If you love old trees, good people, and delicious, no-frills picking then this is place for you. It's one of the only orchards I frequent these days; it's beautiful and easy. Wearing boots is a good idea as the poison ivy is often healthy! If you are an apple sauce and/or apple butter maker, their bulk bags are ideal (sold at the farm stand just a bit down the road). read more

Affordable option for apple picking if that's all you're looking to do. No entrance fee. Nice space, but there wasn't anything else to do or buy. The market was a few minutes driving distance separate from the orchard with not much to look at. The apples were solid - texture and taste wise. Wish the grass was a little more tidied up, but it wasn't too bad. Spotted lots of cute dogs, so it's very pet friendly! read more

Dowse Orchards - a row of apple trees - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Sherborn, Massachusetts

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i grew up a honey pot orchards girl myself, but sherborn is a whole lot closer to the city than stowe, and last saturday was first-foray-into-fall apple pickin' time. there is a 4-5 acre orchard off of rt 27. we paid $19 to pick a bushel of macintosh apples. they have a credit card swiper thing onsite, which comes in handy for those of us who trust in plastic. they also allow pets on leash- wish i had known that before coming out! post apple picking, hit up the farm stand store, 1/4 miles up the road. they sell veggies, chicken and turkey pot pies, super huge pumpkins, and other fall treats. yum! read more

Dowse Orchards - picking some apples in the summer-fall - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Sherborn, Massachusetts

Yes, I have to agree with Rebecca W that Dowse is covered in poison ivy. I overheard someone say when I was there that there was a sign somewhere but I didn't see it nor did anyone else whom I spoke to who was apple picking. The ground as well as the trees are covered. I feel sorry for the unsuspecting apple pickers with their children who can't recognize it and certainly don't expect it. It's unconscionable that Dowse doesn't get rid of it or, at least, warn people BEFORE they purchase their bags of the danger that awaits! read more

Dowse Orchards - Watch out! Poison covers trunk and ground around apple tree! - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Sherborn, Massachusetts

very little apples and the few that you can actually pick are rotted or have bite marks/spots. there was also a bee hive hidden underneath the grass so when I stepped near a tree I got stung. read more

This review is for APPLE PICKING. Dowse orchard is a nice farm stand, but the apple picking is overpriced and underwhelming. First, the farm stand is not in walking distance of the picking so there no cider doughnut or snacking opportunities. The bags for you pick are also very overpriced. The smallest bag is $16 and it was $36 for the same size bag you can get for $20 at other locations. They do have some nice older trees, but there is a reason some of the older varieties they still carry have been replaced. We tried their Porter apples, which are mostly a mushy version of a golden delicious. The views are beautiful - but there's not a spot to sit and enjoy them. read more

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I went here because someone requested me to take them on an apple picking trip. Reading up the list of places to go on Yelp, I decided to check out this one mainly because it was close to where I live. The orchard and the stand were located about a quarter mile apart. The address provided on the business listing (98 N Main street) is the location of the farm stand. If you wish to make a trip to the orchard only, make a left turn at Rockwood Street right after the cemetery if you are driving on 27 N (27 S make a right at the Dowse Orchard sign) There were not too many people for a Sunday afternoon in spite of the good weather, being a noob at this I am thinking I am missing something. I got the $10 and $19 bag later because I like my apples. One other size, 39 (?) was available as well. We were told not to pick the fruits from rows marked off with a yellow police tape, so we were limited to about three rows of trees. There were plenty of apples to pick from the trees though and soon enough we filled the bags up quickly. I am pretty sure this place has no restrictions on bringing your pets because I saw folks with their dogs running around the orchards. A small picnic area overlooking a golf course provides a pretty spot to sit back and munch on the apples you just picked. The farm stand had things like cider, jam, and also other fruits like peaches, berries etc., read more

Our three year old was begging us to go apple picking so we thought about going to Lookout but when heard about their ridiculous one bag per person purchase requirement we quickly looked for other options. Dowse fit our need for a good apple picking operation. There were quite a few varieties available, you only had to purchase a bag for a family, they gave us a pole picker to get the higher apples and had a nice pumpkin patch to also grab some gourds. Can't complain. read more

Dowse Orchards is an amazing place to stop and pick up fresh local apples, fruits, vegetables, apple cider, apple crisp, Christmas trees, pumpkins, and flowers throughout the year. The Dowse family essentially built Sherborn, and represents a lot more than just pick-your-own apples, or cut your own trees for the people in the area. While most family farms have either sold out to corporations, or closed down altogether, this farm is still family owned and operated, and you can feel that charm in the fields picking or at the stand on North Main St. I always recommend to my friends with little kids to stop at Dowse Orchards, and everyone should be eating fresh locally grown food anyway, so don't even bother with the chain stores when the farm stand is open. read more

We went apple picking last weekend - and although the location was great, only a 15/20 minute drive from our new house, the prices were a little steep. $19 gets you a medium size bag which is what we picked ... but only because the larger bagfor $35 seemed a little too much. Turns out we picked a good size ... as we are still eating the apples daily. We visited the farm stand after picking and were very disappointed. There was no cider ... a staple when apple picking for us. And no apple cider donuts either! They did have a small selection of veggies which looked pretty good. We did notice that they have cut your own Christmas trees - so we might try them again for that. Overall it was a nice day and a good experience, but a few small disappointments. read more

Warning: poison ivy everywhere. My whole family got it and 2 kids had to go to the doctor. We have gone there many times as a no frills place to pick apples but will never go again. read more

the second orchard i went to and the most memorable part of the experience was the nice houses bordering the orchard. a buy-a-bag and fill it place, dowse at least offered 3 bag sizes - and they didn't say anything when we walked in with our backpacks in addition to the bags we bought. again, a very nice orchard if somewhat smaller than others and, as a result, it felt more crowded even though there were not many cars in the parking lot. the main issue here - the farm stand is not located at the orchard, it is about a half mile up the main road (route 27) from the orchard. if you go out on the pike or route 30, you will hit the stand first and they can direct you to the actual orchard from there. usual stuff at the stand - cider, pie, jellies, jams, preserves, some local crafts &c., all priced to move since you're there to spend anyway. read more

Dowse Orchards - plums growing on a tree - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Sherborn, Massachusetts

My father went picking when he was a kid On the very same trees that today we did. The orchard is pretty, the owner is nice And though not dirt cheap, it's well worth the price. Family owned for three hundred years Not much here has changed, it was as it appears. The do lose a star though, and I don't mean to spoil it, For refusing to offer their patrons a toilet. read more

I was extremely disappointed with my experience at Dowse orchards. On the website they say they grow 20 varieties of apples and during September "cortland, macoun, mcintosh, milton, spartan", yet when we arrived we were told to go to only one area because "we are picking mcintosh today". I don't come to an orchard to pick only one type of apple, let alone a type I can get at any store. The website lied and the experience was not what I expected. On the ground there were several signs about "not snacking" and "we have the right to search your bags" for extra apples. This lack of trust and respect for the patron took the fun out of the pick your own experience. A bag is overpriced enough, so I'll snack all I want! Lastly, the farm store is not connected to the orchard, it's about a quarter mile away. It did not have cider, donuts, or anything else joyful of a harvest store. This place would never last if it was further west with more competition. My advice would be to take a further drive and have a real enjoyable experience picking apples, not this mediocre orchard. read more

We have liked going to Dowse Orchard over the last few years with our kids and friends. Not a lot of crowds and nice apples to choose from. However this year after purchasing our bag to collect apples and beginning to collect them, a fellow picker pointed out the rampant poison ivy growing around all of the trees. Quite a disappointments and we were very upset that the Orchard didn't warn us either. We won't be returning. read more

Great apples but poison ivy is EVERYWHERE. We took my 2 and 4 year old and had to dump them into a cold shower after visiting Dowes Orchard because there's poison ivy all through the grass and at the bottoms of all the apple trees. Stay away!!! read more

Cute little farm stand in a cute town, delicious apples in the fall, pumpkins, apple pie and friendly neighborly hosting from the owners. you can also pick apples straight off the tree during season. 2 Thumbs up! read more

I grew up with a huge pick-your-own farm near me in Southern New Jersey, complete with full-sized trees and orchards where you hang out for hours. I have yet to find someplace comparable near Boston. We went to Dowse on 9/18/10 and enjoyed our visit, but were unimpressed by the quantity of fruit available or the size or scenery offered by the orchard. Only sections of the orchard were marked for picking, totally about 60-80 trees with fruit. The trees range up to about 15 feet high, laden with Macintosh, Cortland, and Empire. The apples were tasty but not amazing. The orchard is off a short dirt road, abutting a golf course. You could buy $12, $20, and $35 bags to fill with apples. The $35 bags were 1/2 bushels. The farm stand down the road had a small selection of local veggies, good selection of Dowse brand jellies and canned goods, and some local baked goods. While we had a solid experience, we will keep looking for that quintessential New England apple picking experience. read more

There are trees with apples. You can pick the apples off the trees. That's it. If you're looking for an entertaining day with rides, food, etc. this is NOT the place. But if you want the idyllic encounter with a fruit tree it is. Many of the trees are very old and free-standing, like orchards used to be, not tamed on wires into rows for efficiency like at other places. read more

We decided to try Dowse Orchards because it was closer than most pick-your-own places. We left without picking any apples, because poison ivy has taken over the apple trees and the ground under the trees, and is creeping into the grass between the trees. I've honestly never seen so much poison ivy in one place! They have signs warning that there is poison ivy, but the attendant reassured us beforehand that the sign was mostly for the children. I've been to other pick-your-own orchards and have never seen poison ivy (I'm extremely sensitive and so I always am on the look-out). read more

Their cider is sooooooooooooo much better than supermarket cider. Plus they have many varieties of apples!

I went today to get a Christmas tree. Was it better than getting a pre cut tree in Boston? Yes. Was it what I expected from a country location? Not really. Their website said you could cut your own trees, but today it was still just fresh cut free from Nova Scotia. It's a nice tree, but I was really expecting to cut my own since their website said that was an offering. Came to find out that it's only one weekend that they allow that. Decent spot, but I'd probably look at other options next year for my Christmas tree. It's a great tree - I just don't love precut trees. read more

I got a Christmas tree at Dowse Orchard for the first time this year. They had a great selection of pre-cut trees that were very reasonably priced ($30-$50), and all the trees were in really good condition. The girls working at there were incredibly helpful and friendly. The girl who helped me did a great job - she wrapped the tree and brought it to my car and then skillfully secured it to the roof (and the tree was easily twice her size)! They have a wide variety of veggies and baked goods in the store, so I picked up a few treats as well. I will definitely go back there again to get my next tree! read more

Very pretty and clean and quiet. But $21 for a plastic bag was a lot and there was poison Ivy. There was a sign to watch out for it, but there was no way to keep my 2 year old away from it. I'll know tomorrow if he is allergic. ;O(. read more

This place is just okay. It is close by and we just wanted to get some apples to bake with. They are definitely overpriced for what you get. We ended up getting the $25 bag which really doesn't hold that many. At many other apple orchards, you can spend the same amount and have get plenty more apples. The smallest bag, which was $8 (which we got for my nephew), held like six apples. They explained to us where each type of apple was in the orchard, and while they had plenty of trees to pick from, most of them were completely bare! You had to walk way in the back to find ones that actually had apples on them. We then decided to check out the Dowse Orchard store a little way up the road. We purchased three large pumpkins, cider, and a few smaller items, spending a sizable amount of money at the register without so much as a "thank you" from the cashier. In fact, she didn't say anything to us while checking our items. The apples were good-tasting, but we would have been better off driving a little farther to a place where there is a better selection, more reasonable prices, and less rude workers. Probably will not be returning to this place. read more