Dondero Orchards

I love coming to Dondero each summer and fall for various fruit picking. Their baked goods are incredible and the apple fritters are out of this world. It doesn’t seem to get as busy as some of the other orchards in town which is a bonus because it never feels too crowded. The blueberries are my absolute favorite and Dondero is the reason I began experimenting with baking this past summer. I can’t wait until the weather starts to get warm again!

I discovered the farm recently and love the apples they offer. I have been coming back for them. They make fresh pies but I’m stuck with the apple and pumpkin ones. I also found out about their fritters they prepare homemade soups on the weekends. I love to stop by on a weekday to pick up fruits and their fresh fall vegetables. It’s quiet and pleasant experience whenever I come by. No pressure and everyone is courteous. I will always come by to get my apples as much as I can. Thank you for every thing offered.

My in-​laws gave us the Fruit of the Farm pie, wow my toes are curling! I have never been to Dondero just driven by many times. I have a great excuse now.

South Glastonbury is wonderfully packed to the brim with farms and fruit orchards but Dondero has to be my favorite. I’ve been here twice in the last week alone for blueberry picking, but always seem to leave with plenty more goodies than I originally anticipated. Fresh pesto, salsa, cookies, ice cream, pies, fragrant loaves of rustic bread — truly a lovely selection for a pretty small farm store. Dondero is much more low key than some of the other surrounding farms and I mean that in the best way possible. I try to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds and it’s so exceptionally serene. Picnic tables are also plentiful for snacking on the bounty you get from the farm store!
In addition to the mounds of blueberries, I picked some donut peaches (oh my god, SO WONDERFUL) and plums on my last visit. The fruit is exceptional. Can’t wait for apples!

This orchard is a little bit more in the «outskirts» of Glastonbury, but you travel down another beautiful, rural road to get there. And it’s worth the hike!
Really nice people and low-​key environment. Not many frills but high-​quality vegetables and fruits. Their store stays mostly pure to the produce. Some of the best prices in town, as well.

Found this orchard on Unilocal as we were seeking a closer orchard, and hopefully a cheaper one as well. The options of apples offered at Dondero and the price, $ 1 a pound, is great compared to other orchards who charge. They offer several apples I’ve never even heard of. It’s refreshing to buy a quantity and not be paying over $ 20. The apple fritters and blueberry fritters are both excellent and are made fresh to order. It’s also nice that the orchard is so close to everything, so you can park and within 100 feet are apple trees.
I haven’t experienced and rude employee’s in the half dozen visits we have made in the past 2 months, though you do see people who may mistakenly package the more expensive apples with the regular apples.

Still the greatest and their CSA can’t be beat for quality and variety! Love, love, love Sandy and her crew!

Inexpensive pick your own. Fruit in incredible, so are the fritters!
I love, love, love this orchard. Unlike other farms in glastonbury, it was much quieter, off the beaten path. The fruit was plentiful and just soooo good. When we went, they were offerin pick your own blueberries and peaches. There were so many perfect blueberries on every bush it was hard to stop yourself from picking them all! At only $ 2.50/lb, load up! Inside, they had tons of vegetables, pre-​picked fruits, jams, spreads, soups, fritters, cookies, pies, you name it! everything was amazing and the woman running it that day (who may be the owner) was so friendly! we waited a few minutes for a fresh, hot batch of blueberry fritters (totally worth it), and checked out easily. they take cash or cards.
At their secondary location, we picked black raspberries, raspberries, the most delicious little tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. They also had potatoes inside and fresh eggs.
i recommend this as a fun date or family trip. these orchards are the best and i cant wait to go back!

Great orchard! Family run farm for over 100 years. Lots of pick your own options w great prices– $ 1 per pound apples and peaches, $ 2 per pound blueberries! Lots of home-​made products in the store made with real and pronounceable ingredients off their farm. The woman working there was very friendly and helpful– laid back atmosphere. She says they dont use pesticides because they have lots of children running around– wants to keep them safe.
Overall– amazing place! Will be back often!

Those photos I uploaded speak for itself. Anything more? The ice-​cream, organic farm eggs, and best donut I’ve ever had.

If I was doing a tour of all the orchards in South Glastonbury, the stop at Dondero’s would be all about the market. I love all of their jarred pickled goods — they have pickled green beans, hot peppers and cabbage. I think their apple fritters are the best of the orchards in the area and their other baked goods are delicious as well. Everything is clearly homemade and the ingredients (which are all real food items and pronounceable, i.e. they meet the «Michael Pollan» standard) are typically clearly labeled. There are samples available throughout the orchard market so you can try before you buy. The staff are friendly farm folk. They also do a nice pick-​your-​own business. I like their pick-​your-​own strawberries best.

Best prices, nice people, fun to pick fruit, and easy to find great veggies.
We’ve been going here for a while & my husband grew up in gbury, but we still get lost every time we go.
The cash line is 10x faster & better way to support local & small businesses.

We loved berry picking here. We missed blueberry season but got raspberries and they were the best I have ever had! Prices were pretty fair.
Home baked selection of goods inside. Great find thanks to Unilocal.Never knew this pretty farm area of CT existed– makes for a really nice drive.

Drove 8 miles into the middle of nowhere and was super excited as I pulled into the farm it stated «blueberry fritters today!» with a sign right out front. Now I’m all about giving back to the locals as I am from South Glastonbury but as I walked in the girl stated that she doesn’t want to make any more batter and would be cleaning for the next hour and a half until closing. Really disappointing as this place is quite deep into the farm land. Oh and I called ahead too but noone picked up as it’s a bunch of young high schoolers who don’t care. Welp ill buy my own blueberries from the grocery store and make my own fritters.

There are several farms to visit in South Glastonbury. Dondero is my favorite! We recently joined the Farm share program and are very happy with the first week’s bounty! The produce is always fresh and high quality. The pick your own options at Dondero are always very easy going, unlike some of the other farms who have the strictest rules when you «pick your own.»

a nice farm stand with a few pick your own offerings. I dont think this as big as some of the other farms around here, but they offer good products and are friendly. they have dinners on the orchard too, which was a set price dinner that sounded like a good deal. (oh yah, and cider donuts too)

This place is amazingly delicious. We come here for the fritters as often as we can. Just had their strawberry fritters yesterday, they were great. My favorite is their blueberry fritters!!! I believe their fritters depend on what fruit is in season. Picked up some raspberry filled cookies and they are out of this world!!!
As far as the fruits and vegetables, I came here apple picking and bought some vegetables last fall. Butternut squash was big for only $ 1 each. Price and quality of apples was outstanding. Love this place!!!

There are so many wonderful farms to visit in Glastonbury. Dondero Orchards is one of my favorites. This year their blueberries are so amazingly huge that it almost takes the fun out it. Part of the fun of picking blueberries is being the one who finds the fattest biggest blue orb, but at Dondero’s all the berries are elephant sized. Don’t you just love eating your way through the orchards?
In the fall they have a variety of apple that is hard to find– the Honey Crisp. Just like the name implies these apples taste like honey and are the sweetest and crispiest (uh, is that a word?) apples I have ever had. They also make great pies. These have definitely replace the McCoun as my favorite apple.
There are neat things to eat in the farm store too. All of their home baked goodies are wonderful, especially those evil raspberry cookies.
Great eggs are hard to find – okay you laugh but that’s because you have no idea what a real egg is supposed to taste like. I tried their eggs (well, they get them from Colechester) the other day and they were pretty good and real inexpensive. In fact I think Dondero’s has the best prices of all of the farms in Glastonbury. Oh ya, they have amazing homemade or is that orchard-​made sherbet in the summer. Blueberry, raspberry, peach jeez what I am doing at this damn computer! See ya there. :-)