Apples, cider doughnuts and ice cream







By Laurie Gordon
NEWTON — Jake Hunt proudly scooped out ice cream as a line formed, curving around the interior of the store between the baskets of apples and variety of homemade pies. It was Sunday at Windy Brow Farm and the place was packed with people looking for a different type of apple picking experience: a rustic one without the hype, expense and extensive extras.
This is the Windy Brow experience: a good old-fashioned tractor-drawn tractor ride out to their apple orchard, a few farm animals to admire, and a store filled with a plethora of apple varieties, baked goods and Jake's ice cream.
“Where some of the other area farms have a lot of extra attractions and things, we keep it simple here,” Hunt said. The strategy to keep things simple and affordable works as people from all over the tri-state venture to Windy Brow.
Arriving at the farm, as soon as you open your car, an olfactory-infiltrating-amazingly-delicious aroma hits as visitors catch a whiff of Windy Brow's hallmark cider doughnuts baking in the oven. They're available for sale by the bag as soon as you enter the store, and on Sunday, that supply was moving almost as fast as staff could replenish it.
Then there's the ice cream. What started as Jake Hunt's senior year hypothetical business proposal at college has become a booming reality. “My parents (Jim and Linda Hunt who own Windy Brow) took a chance on the idea and let me try it out,” he said.
Located within the store, The Cow's Brow Creamery opened in 2013 and now his ice cream is a huge draw — even on Sunday when there were snow flurries in the air. Visitors to the farm lined up to try the limited addition Caramel Apple Cider Doughnut, Maple Walnut, Pumpkin Pie, Basil Sweet Cream and Maple Bacon flavors. They're available by the cone or cup or in larger containers to take home.
“This is a tremendous year for apples,” Jake said. The way the weather fell out in the spring set the table for minimal frost and a stellar crop so vibrant that the farm will be open for apple picking later than usual this year and will have apples in the store until Christmas. The holiday season will see Hunt integrating in his now locally famous Peppermint Bark and Ginger Bread ice creams. “We'll be keeping the Maple Bacon in addition to our regular flavors, too,” he said.
Ariana Begraft, of Newton, loved the hay ride out to the orchard to pick apples. “I had a really great time and loved finding different types of apples,” the 11-year-old said, “I didn't even mind that it was kind of cold and it was cool that it was starting to snow a little.”
Patrick Carucci, of Stillwater, was there with his wife, Amanda, daughter, Adrianna, and baby son, Michael. “We definitely came for the awesome donuts,” he said, “But also to meet family and enjoy Windy Brow and their great apple picking.”
Named for its windy location, Windy Brow originally operated as a dairy farm dating back to the late 1800s. The first fruit trees were planted by the Inslee family in 1920. When the original dairy barn was destroyed by fire in the 1940s, the Inslees decided to concentrate on fruit growing. Many of the original trees are still bearing fruit today. The packing house and farm store established in 1946 are still in operation. The Hunts purchased the farm in 2000, and look to their local roots in agriculture to guide them as they continue the family tradition of farming in the Garden State.