PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 14, 2025
It took sweating through a flannel at an apple orchard in Gorham a few falls ago for me to finally admit defeat. Left feeling unsatisfied in a way that even virtual hearts couldn’t have fulfilled, I decided right then I was done picking my own anything. As we learned this summer, the problem was bigger than me. We wannabe farmers-for-a-day have taken a toll on U-pick operations, demanding bathrooms, food and other forms of entertainment, forcing actual farmers into becoming amusement park operators. Some of them are putting an end to the madness by closing to the public, not because there’s a lack of business but because whatever we spend isn’t worth the hassle. ~ Leslie Bridgers