Hope — Hope Orchards opened for the season Friday, Sept. 7.

The farm, located on Camden Road in Hope Center, was bustling with families enjoying a morning at the orchard.

Farm owners Brien and Emily Davis have planted 700 new trees, including a variety of different kinds of apples, in a technique called high-density planting.

The trees are planted four feet apart and as the branches grow, they are tied to trellises, which will eventually create a wall of apples.

With traditional planting, Brien Davis said there "is a lot of wood with some apples," but with high-density planting there" is not a lot of wood, but a lot of apples."

The new planting area also includes an irrigation system, which was paid for through two grants from the state and the federal government. Brien Davis said he expects the trees to be about 10-feet tall by next season and will produce about 10 apples per tree. The following year, they are expected to produce about 30 apples on each tree and the following season a full crop is expected.

For more information about Hope Orchards, go to hopeorchards.com.

Hope Orchards seasonal worker Gene DiLorenzo of Hope collects fallen apples in the orchard Sept. 7. (Photo by: Kim Lincoln)

The Paula Red apple is one of many varieties available at Hope Orchards. (Photo by: Kim Lincoln)

One-year-old Charlie Leonard of Camden takes a break during apple picking at Hope Orchards Sept. 7. (Photo by: Kim Lincoln)

One-year-old Logan Snyder of Union hears a tractor in the distance while picking apples at Hope Orchard Sept. 7. (Photo by: Kim Lincoln)

Hope Orchards owners Brien and Emily Davis have planted 700 new trees in a technique called high-density planting, which basically creates walls of apple trees. (Photo by: Kim Lincoln)