SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – One year after opening to the public, Seven Sisters Orchard welcomes visitors back to this old orchard to wander the fields and pick fresh fruit. Located on Leach Road in Saxtons River, Vt., the orchard is one of the area’s most scenic properties, and in previous decades had been closed to the community.
Last summer, for the first time, the orchard’s new owner invited families, friends, and visitors to enjoy pick-your-own fresh fruit and experience its scenic views. He hoped to share its beauty and offer the local townspeople the pleasure of walking through its fields, and to harvest the abundance that this orchard holds.
Owner Michael Stack said, “I’ve wanted to own this land for historic reasons [family ties], and as an investment. There aren’t large chunks of land like this around anymore that haven’t been chopped up,” adding, “Where I am in my life, I’ve come back home.” He went on to explain how he loves being able to give access to this property back to the community, because for decades the orchard was only admired from a distance by passersby.
Born in North Walpole, N.H., Stack recalled that he spent part of his childhood working on a local family farm, and the experience taught him good values and a strong work ethic. He later lived in the Boston area, where he worked in the investment industry for 36 years. Now retired, he has chosen to resettle in the Saxtons River area.
Stack’s goal for the orchard has been to make the property more welcoming to the public by opening up areas that had previously not been accessible. To this end, Stack has cleared part of a 36-acre parcel that contained an old orchard that overlooks Mount Ascutney. He has added picnic tables where folks can go to sit and relax or have a picnic lunch and take in the amazing view.
Within the total 777-acre parcel of land, the orchard spans approximately 40 acres, containing diverse fruit-bearing plants including blueberries, peaches, pears, and many varieties of apples. With another growing season underway, the orchard looks forward to welcoming visitors once again to enjoy fresh air, beautiful scenery, and the timeless experience of wandering through the orchard. Stack officially kicked off the 2026 pick-your-own season, starting with blueberries, on July 22. He looks forward to meeting new visitors this year.
For Stack, the greatest reward has been sharing the orchard’s beauty and abundance with others. The gift of its many fruit trees, along with the feeling of nature, has been the best part. He recalled a family who came to pick blueberries last year with small children running and laughing up and down the blueberry patch and their mother yelling with excitement, “I’m gonna bake a pie!” Reflecting on the experience, Stack said, “It’s moments like these that remind me exactly why I chose to open the orchard to the community.”