About Us
The Apple Farm came into being when the Traas family moved from The Netherlands to Ireland in the late 1960’s to grow fruit. As the crops began to mature, they opened a shop at the farm. To this day it is the same barn that people call to buy the fruits they produce from 40 acres.
50 varieties of apples, four types of strawberries, three raspberry varieties, four of sweet cherry and three types of plum are available in sequence through the year as they ripen. As well as selling direct to public, fruit are sold to retailers, bakeries and so forth. Because only 5% of the apples consumed in Ireland are grown in Ireland, there is always great demand for Irish produce.
In addition, a range of juices and sparkling juices are also made on the farm, only using fruits grown right there. Lemonades are also made and bottled on site.
Fruits from the farm are also used to make cider as well as cider vinegar, which has a huge following. In 2018, the farm launched a cool-dried apple ring, or “apple crisp” as some people call it. Healthy, tasty and full of fibre.
Another recent addition is an apple brandy, made in conjunction with The Tipperary Distillery, which is just a few km from The Apple Farm.
The farm operates an integrated fruit production system (IFP), which means managing the crops using beneficial insects, predators, and other natural organisms for pest control. Wildflower areas and habitat are also provided for pollinating insects, wild bird cover etc. The farm was the first fruit farm in Ireland to be Origin Green certified. About 30% of the electricity used on the farm is provided by solar PV mounted on the buildings, and a solar hot water system is also used. Significant amounts of CO2 are captured from the atmosphere annually thanks to the action of the apple trees and orchards, with studies showing a capture of about 11 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year.
