There are lots of good reasons to pack up the family and visit Windy Ridge Orchard in North Haverhill. They are a New Hampshire Farm of Distinction, they have a wonderful variety of apples to pick and purchase, they have a cafe that serves home-made farm fresh breakfast and lunch, they have a fun farm stand and gift store, and you can find Seven Birches Vineyard and tasting room at the orchard. But, my number one reason to visit Windy Ridge is for their amazing cider donuts. These donuts are the quintessential fall treat – dense, moist, sweet (but not too sweet), and satisfying. Plan a trip to Windy Ridge and be sure to try the donuts – you won’t be disappointed.
We are happy to share the following profile excerpt of Windy Ridge Orchard written for New Hampshire Farms Network by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul.
Sheila Fabrizio grew up happily immersed in the agricultural life. Her father worked for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, both parents ran the family’s Windy Ridge Orchard outside their career jobs, and all five Fabrizio kids were involved in 4-H. But it was her journey to a far-away country that made her realize she wanted to come home to the orchard life.
“I certainly didn’t go off to college thinking I would have a career in agriculture,” says Sheila. “Probably the seed was planted when I was a kid, but it was really when I was in the Peace Corps in Senegal that I realized this is where I wanted to be.”
As a girl, Sheila joined her brothers and sisters in raising and showing dairy cows through 4-H. She also started showing sheep after receiving one as a gift when she was about eight years old, and soon several sheep were sharing space with the cows in the Fabrizios’ barn.
To read more from this profile, please visit New Hampshire Farms Network.