As fall approaches, don’t miss an opportunity to buy produce at The Apple Barrel Inc. off U.S. Highway 2.
The aroma of fresh fruits and vegetables and the ambiance of bins of paradise musk melons, cantaloupe, honeydew, pears, peaches and apricots creates more of an outdoor market than a produce stand.
The environment is friendly and family oriented, as everyone seems to know each other, according to owners David and Dana Cordell. And the produce is as fresh as they can get it.
“We try and get as much locally as we can,” said David. “And it’s all as natural as possible. They pick it, put it in the box and ship it here.”
The Apple Barrel also offers a large variety of products made in Montana such as spices from Polebridge, beef jerky from Columbia Falls and chocolate and huckleberry products from Kalispell. It also currently offers Hutterite goods from the Kingsbury Colony. Selections can change with what is in season.
The Cordells said they will soon be offering fresh apple cider squeezed on site.
The store closes near the end of October but will open briefly before Thanksgiving to sell preordered Hutterite turkeys.
How to get there: From downtown Kalispell, travel east on Idaho Street (U.S. Highway 2). Following the signs toward Columbia Falls, turn left on La Salle Road (still U.S. Highway 2). The building is about 2.4 miles up the road on the left.