Lyman Orchards in Connecticut: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Lyman Orchards is one of Connecticut's oldest and best-known orchard businesses, operating at Middlefield since John and Hope Lyman bought land there in 1741. It grew from peaches and apples into a diversified enterprise with pick-your-own fruit, a year-round farm market known for apple pies, and three golf courses, and it marked its 275th anniversary in 2016.
| Location | Middlefield, Middlesex County, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1741, when John and Hope Lyman bought land (farm website) |
| Sectors | Apples; peaches; berries; pears; pick-your-own; farm market; bakery; golf |
| Scale | Began on 37 acres in 1741 and had over 187 acres by 1760; current acreage not stated in the sources used |
| Why it is elite | More than 275 years of continuous operation and one of the state's largest agritourism and orchard businesses |
| Ownership | Lyman family; homestead housed six generations |
| Official website | Lyman Orchards official site (history page) |
History of Lyman Orchards
John and Hope Lyman bought two parcels totaling 37 acres in southwest Middletown in 1741, and by 1760 they owned more than 187 acres. The Homestead, rebuilt in 1863, housed six generations of the family. The farm celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1991 and its 275th in 2016. The Lymans were also abolitionists who helped fugitive slaves, and the farm was recognized on the Connecticut Freedom Trail in 2013.
Fruit has always been central. Historically the farm was known for Elberta peaches and McIntosh apples, along with sheep, cattle and hay. A 1917 freeze killed 500 acres of peach trees, and the orchards were replanted with apples. A 1956 barn fire destroyed the historic barn, but the business kept growing: golf arrived in 1969 and the Apple Barrel farm market opened in 1972.
What Lyman Orchards Grows and Raises
Today the farm offers pick-your-own strawberries, honeyberries, raspberries, blueberries, jostaberries, peaches and nectarines, pears, Asian pears, apples and pumpkins. Seasonal attractions include a sunflower maze and a corn maze.
The Apple Barrel farm market is open year-round and includes a deli, a bakery known for its Hi-Top Apple Pies, and a creamery. The farm also has an online store, a customer rewards program and wholesale pies. Beyond the orchards, Lyman Golf runs an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones, a Gary Player course opened in 1994 and the Apple Nine course with a golf center opened in 2012.
How Lyman Orchards Makes Money
Pick-your-own and orchard fruit
Pick-your-own across many fruits spreads the season from berries to pumpkins and moves the harvest cost to customers. It also brings families to the property, where they spend on other offerings.
Farm market and baked goods
The Apple Barrel market, deli, bakery and creamery turn raw fruit into higher-margin foods. The farm also sells pies wholesale and online, extending reach past the market.
Golf and events
Three golf courses add an entirely separate revenue stream and use land that helps keep the open space intact. The farm does not publish revenue figures, and none are estimated here.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Lyman Orchards
Add processing to the picking. Moving from fruit to pies, bakery items and a deli captures more value from the same apples and gives the business a reason to stay open all year.
Diversify with the long game. A 1917 peach freeze and a 1956 fire did not end the business because later generations kept adding new revenue streams. Golf, markets and pick-your-own have helped Lyman Orchards stay on the land through nearly three centuries.
A family that has survived a peach freeze, a barn fire and 285 trips around the sun clearly knows the secret ingredient is apple pie. At farm.FM we bake farm satire and farm humor with the same patience, and we hope the Lymans enjoy a little ranch humor from across the state. Our farm jokes about corn mazes and Hi-Top pies come with a free slice of respect.
farm.FM got there first as the nation's first satirical farm site, and it backs the writing with Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Here is one contributor's collection of farm satire to start with.
How to Contact Lyman Orchards
Website: https://www.lymanorchards.com/about-us/our-history
Address: The Apple Barrel: 32 Reeds Gap Rd, Middlefield, CT 06455
Phone: 860-349-6000
Contact details as published on the operation's own website, November 2026. Pick Your Own is at 105 South Street, Middlefield (860-349-6015) and Lyman Golf at 700 Main Street (860-349-6031); confirm hours before traveling.
Lyman Orchards Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Lyman Orchards history - The farm's own account of its history and offerings
- Patch coverage - Local report on the farm's long history
- Hartford Business Journal - Business coverage of the farm's growth
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Official data on Connecticut farms and land
- Connecticut farmland preservation - State program that protects working farmland
Lyman Orchards FAQ
Where is Lyman Orchards?
It is in Middlefield, Connecticut; the Apple Barrel farm market is at 32 Reeds Gap Rd.
When was Lyman Orchards founded?
John and Hope Lyman bought land in 1741, according to the farm's website.
What can you pick at Lyman Orchards?
Strawberries, honeyberries, raspberries, blueberries, jostaberries, peaches, nectarines, pears, Asian pears, apples and pumpkins.
Does Lyman Orchards have a farm market?
Yes. The Apple Barrel opened in 1972 and is open year-round, with a deli, bakery and creamery.
Lyman Orchards shows how a Connecticut farm can survive nearly three centuries by adding pick-your-own, baked goods and golf to its orchards. Read our Connecticut farms guide for the wider picture of land, markets and programs.