Day Trip to Sweeting Orchards '26

It’s not everyday you get to pick fresh fruit right off of the tree. It’s also not everyday that you get to eat ice cream made using fruit from the same fresh holistic source. Whenever that sort of opportunity comes around, you take it. After all, it’s the kind of memory-making stuff that leads to better journaling. 

Add to that a list of other enticing reasons culminating into a single-day destination trip to a regional orchard with family ties, and you’ve got yourself a dense and wonderful palette of experiences. For us, we were looking at the Sweeting Orchards social feed on social media platform x,y,z (insert preference) and found ourselves craving that titular taste that perfectly fits their brand: sweet sweet ice cream, and made using fruit from their own orchard trees too. 

Calvin anticipating his next big adventure!

We had been planning to make the short trip over to the orchard right on the outskirts of my hometown of Willard for a few years now, wanting the chance to pick the juiciest of peaches off of their trees, and we finally jumped at the chance to with this fun new addition to the orchard; the Sweeting Orchard Ice Cream barn. Additionally, with an out-of-the-blue call from my friend Brandon Garner asking me if I still happened to have his CD binder of old Xbox 360 games that he lent me when first entering the navy - a binder that I not only had in my possession, but within feet from me at the time of answering the phone - we made the plan to meet up there to pick fruit and catch up in a swift tactically-smooth move. My parents, Elli and Owen had already agreed to meet for picking as well. So the stage was set for a 1pm meet up at the orchard to pick our peck of peaches (alliteration!), indulge in ice cream (2x), and chauffeur the sentimental software (ehh… a stretch). 

We got to Sweeting Orchards at 12:55pm and parked outside the barn near my parents, referred to herein as Paw Paw and Mimi Jen per Calvin’s (and our own) continued intrafamilial brainwashing. Paw Paw was already out talking to cousin John Sweeting and his father Dean. They both had built up the family business over the years (which you can read more about here on their website that I made for them) and were seeing great success for the efforts. Although, this year due to harsh winters, the peach crop was only about 30% full, so one could say it’s all a little bitter “sweet”. 

After getting Calvin changed and slid into the carry harness, we hopped in my parents’ backseat to take the small trail over to the peach trees. Parked at the Redhaven peaches, we immediately got to picking our haul. Sifting through the branches and leaves, trying to be picky about selection since there was plenty unblemished available for the taking, we filled our peck basket in under 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Calvin was dangling in front of me as if piloting me like a mech, and Garner was passing thru Attica on his way. We had gotten our peaches so quickly that we missed the Johnboy variants. We did manage to fit one softball-sized Johnboy on top of the Redhavens. 

Paw Paw provides critical peach picking comms for the squad.

While driving back up to the barn Calvin attempted a smuggler’s maneuver, trading his tiny peach with a full sized Redhaven that sat elegantly at basket’s end. His attempt was foiled by a family of consistently fascinated onlookers taking in his every action. After paying our picking fee we made our way inside to check out the new parlor. Here in the barn, the ice cream shop spanned the entire eastern wall within a roofed kiosk. The dark wainscoting that framed the perimeter of the entire barn helped lead the eye here. Circular tables and chairs were available in the center while games and other activities sat at the western side of the building where the enormous garage door kept out the hot summer air. We quickly filed in line to view the digital menu on the TV. The fruit-to-ice-cream crossover of the decade spanned the 3 column menu with hard dip, milkshake, smoothie, and sunday options. I got a bowl of raspberry cheesecake ice cream while Aubri, an admirer of frozen drinkables, selected the peach milkshake. They were both excellent treats. Even Calvin got in on taste testing our desserts, which he gave two binkies up to. 

Calvin, the peach seeking baby.

Here, at our table we ate, relaxed and talked with the family. It is also here where John mentioned the 30% peach yield this year which he somewhat lamented but took in stride given the rapid success of the new ice cream business. Around the time my parents and sister were leaving, Garner pulled up to the barn with his own half-bushel. He had mentioned being back in the orchard as we ate our ice cream; a result of me neglecting to update him on our change of location. Not a big deal given how fast they could be picked at this stage in their bloom. After parking his truck, he made his way into the barn with his fiance Paige. He said ‘Hi-Bye’ to “Mr. White” as he so-often termed my dad and greeted Calvin for the first time! Yes, this was Garner’s first time seeing Calvin. They got along well, with Calvin mischievously grinning at Garner’s bewildered expressions. Paige seemed to enjoy Calvin’s roguishness too; a roguishness that he currently had limited expression of in Mahh-Mahh’s arms. 

U-Pick. I-Pick. We all pick before ice cream!

So, after a brief hello, Paige and Garner got their ice cream (the same selections and Aub and I) and sat back down to debrief. We caught up on our work and home lives. Garner was planting a rather large garden at about 40 by 60 feet. He bought a 60s era combine harvester recently and was working in drone powered cropdusting for a co-op in their area. We talked about Calvin’s milestones, family news, and other interesting life events. All-in-all it was a good time!

Jarvis, maximize feeding input.

Heading out, we got the chance to hand off the video games Garner had initially asked for, and he even gave us some zucchinis and cucumbers from their garden in return. It was great to catch up with them and hang out in this new third place that Sweeting Orchards had opened up to the community. More generally, it was just a good day all around, filled with many of the adjectives that good days need in order to be considered as such: adventurous, relaxing, engaging, enriching, fulfilling and full. To the tones of a Monet painting we basked in the shade of the orchard rows, growing, if only momentarily, alongside Calvin. But that isn’t necessarily right either. We are always growing in spirit and knowledge, even after childhood and school. But sometimes with adulthood and the chaos of the world we lose our sense that reveals to us our continued growth, and it takes going to a place where the process of growing is seen, the past is made present, and the generations fall away to an equity of innocence. A place where wonder and awe are the norm once again. Where the elderly couple look at the table over and see a boy eating ice cream for the first time, and consequently glimpse their own first ice cream bites again. A place of growth and wonder. 

See you next time. I hope there’s fruit and ice cream!