Local family owned orchard closes after a great crop season but continues to sell their delicious apples throughout the winter to the public and to SUNY Oswego as well. Not only do they sell apples but they also sell vibrant red cherries. Along with selling to the public and SUNY Oswego Fruit Valley Orchards also picks and produces apples for popular apple-based products brand Motts.

Although the Orchard has been around for many years it has recently been under new ownership for the Gfeller family from Northern Virginia. Owner and farmer Craig Gfeller said that he came to upstate New York to raise his family on a farm much like he did in Rochester. They purchased the land last July in 2017 and have been roaring ever since.

They’ve been able to rake in tons of families to their beautiful orchard with their U-pick program, when asked what family friendly activities they offer at the orchard Craig responded with “We offer a lot of activities here, mostly just U-pick right now,we have families that come and have picnics here, just a great way of spending the afternoon as a family.”

The crop season has been a little short this year due to the fact that not much rain had been around Oswego in the early fall months. However the orchard was still able to grow a great crop under the conditions they had. They grew and sold some of the same apples like Macintosh but also sold new apples to the orchard like Snap Dragon bred by Cornell University where Craig is an alum from.

If you would like to check out Fruit Valley Orchards you can visit their website www.fruitvalleyorchard.com or call them at 315-342-3793.  They open again next fall but continue to sell their remaining crop throughout the winter. Get the while they last!

OSWEGO, NY — Veterans’ Day 2018 marked a historic time for SUNY Oswego. The brave men and women who fought for our country overseas were officially immortalized in way of a memorial plaque near Sheldon Hall at SUNY Oswego.

SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley had expressed her utmost sincerity towards this impactful memento and stressed the importance of gratitude for our rights and freedoms as citizens as a result of the armed forces’ bravery and tenacity.

“These were individuals who did not fight on our soil,” President Stanley said. “They went to represent America. They went to fight to guarantee and defend democracy, and to make our way of life insured.”

The plaque honors twenty brave individuals from the Oswego Normal School, including student Jesse Merle Hewitt, who lost his life in France in 1918. Town Supervisor Rick Kaulfuss shared President Stanley’s sentiment and reverence towards those who died for our freedom.

“I think it’s really important to recognize that veterans have contributed a lot to our society in a lot of different ways, and they keep us free,” said Supervisor Kaulfuss.

The public may visit this plaque along Washington Boulevard, aside Sheldon Hall, at SUNY Oswego.