Aaron Libby is a third-generation Maine apple grower and the “son” of Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick, named the top apple orchard in the country in 2023 in the USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards. Libby, 41, works year-round pruning and tending the soil around the orchard’s 6,000 apple trees, as well as tending all the peach, cherry and plum trees.

Right now, Libby is in the midst of the busy apple-picking season and gearing up for this week’s Maine Apple Sunday, on Sept. 15.

Aaron Libby in the orchard, at Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick. Photo by Meghan Harriman

What is your favorite kind of apple? 

I do like to have Macs and Cortlands in an apple pie. I think that’s a fantastic combination. And then, eating-wise, honey crisp are excellent. And then Macouns are nice, because they’re like McIntosh, but a little bit sweeter. It’s great to pair with wine and cheese.

Do you have to try all the apples? 

One of the fun parts of the job is going through the orchard and seeing what’s available for picking, and you have to keep trying them to make sure the flavor is right before opening up a new variety (for picking).

What’s the most common question you get from people picking apples?

One of the big ones is what do we do in the winter time? Pruning all the fruit trees is done all winter long. It takes the complete 365 days to grow fruit. Every year, we do a leaf analysis and take soil samples to make sure our nutrient program is correct. So we’re adjusting soils and nutrients as needed. There’s no off-season.

What is the toughest part of getting ready for all the apple pickers in the fall?

The unknowns, the uncertainty of Mother Nature. You can have perfect weather Monday through Friday, but if it rains Saturday and Sunday, that affects the majority of our sales. After Labor Day, almost 90 percent of our sales are on the weekends.

What is the best part of running the orchard?

Seeing thousands of friends and families, just having a great time. It’s a lot of fun to be able to offer people this atmosphere. When the farm is running like a well-oiled machine – and it usually is – it’s fun to be able to take a minute and look around see everyone, from babies to seniors in their 90s, all getting outside and enjoying the weather, enjoying the fruit and time together.

A bird’s-eye view of the orchard and fields at Libby & Son U-Picks in Limerick. Photo courtesy of Libby & Son