NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. —

Arbor Day Farms' annual AppleJack Fest, where visitors can enjoy apple picking, cider pressing, and a variety of culinary offerings, is now open.

Orchard manager Ben Heusinkvelt has dedicated the year to caring for hundreds of trees, ensuring a successful apple harvest. "It's a calendar year of work just to get one apple off the trees," Heusinkvelt said.

Heusinkvelt is optimistic about this year's crop, stating, "We're looking at a lot of good, colorful, big fruit this year thanks to the kinda cooler temperatures and the rain we've had." He advised visitors to walk into the rows to find the best apples and to pull up and twist the apples to avoid disturbing the trees.

Beyond apple picking, the farm presses about 12,000 gallons of cider each year, an experience vis

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