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If you’ve been meaning to plan an apple-picking trip upstate but instead have slowly watched fall fade into winter, relief is on the way: an orchard is coming to you.
Next week, on November 25, the Farmlink Project and 260 Sample Sale will turn 261 Fifth Avenue into a pop-up apple orchard complete with farm-fresh fruit and warm cider, making for a delightfully odd autumn moment in the middle of Manhattan.
The seasonal spectacle has a purpose, though. Farmlink plans to redistribute 20,000 pounds of locally-grown apples, sourced through the New York Apple Association, to highlight how easy it is to reroute surplus produce to families who need it. Another 15,000 pounds will go straight to partner food banks across Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx. And while all the apples at the orchard are free, donations are encouraged to support the organization's food-rescue efforts.
The nonprofit’s track record shows New Yorkers will happily line up for a good cause... and some good produce. An earlier activation with Happier Grocery held this fall moved 2,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables in a little over two hours. The new orchard-for-a-day brings Farmlink closer to its goal of delivering 10 million pounds of food by Thanksgiving, all while giving the city a fleeting fall moment.
There’s also a merch twist: Carhartt will be on site with exclusive collab hats and tees, with proceeds supporting Farmlink’s mission to close the gap between surplus and scarcity.
“Every day, tons of fresh, healthy food goes to waste while families go hungry,” said Eliza Blank, CEO of the Farmlink Project, in an official statement. “With the government shutdown disrupting food assistance, Farmlink is stepping up to close the gap—showing how simple it can be to turn surplus into sustenance.”
So yes, you can now say you went apple picking in Manhattan—minus the hayrides, Thruway traffic and overpriced cider doughnuts (unless you pick up some afterward, that is).