Ledge Stone Orchards

by Nicole Zappone @TheChronicleCT

Nestled back into several acres of fields are dozens upon dozens of apple trees and trees with peaches that are now blooming for the season. Ledge Stone Orchard, owned and operated by Steve Preli, has been going strong for over 20 years on West Town Street in Lebanon.

The story of Ledge Stone Orchards began in 1740, when Nathan Bushness established a farm on what is now Lebanon Green. For 258 years, the land remained in the same family, which saw generations of farmers before Preli purchased the property in 1998. Preli grew up working in the orchards in South Glastonbury, where his great-grandfather and other Preli relatives, who were immigrants from Italy’s Apennine Mountains, had planted fruit trees on rocky hills.

Steve Preli, owner and operator of Ledge Stone Orchard, stands on a stone ledge on his property in Lebanon with his girlfriend, Heidi Ward, in the middle of their apple fields

Inspired by his family’s history, Preli planted his first apple orchard in 2001, which then transformed the former dairy farm into what it is today – a thriving fruit-growing operation.

“I got about five or six acres of apple trees, a couple of acres of peach trees,” Preli said. “We replanted some new trees this year with new varieties. So we’re just concentrating on doing the orchard.”

Heidi Ward, Preli’s girlfriend of 13 years, works on the property as well. “Heidi does sheep here and she helps out at the stand,” Preli said. “We pack apples and sell apples to the Lebanon School system.” The farm stand is located on the property and typically opens at the end of June and stays open through December.

The couple also has full-time jobs, and Preli said his daughter also helps out on the property.

In 2004, West Green Farm, LLC, was established, including a second apple block, a peach orchard, hay production and fresh produce for the farm stand. “We started the farm stand around that time,” Preli said.

What got Preli into the farming business was his family’s legacy, and he has always worked in the orchards. “When we had kids, we moved to Lebanon in 1998, and we wanted to do something on the property,” Preli said. “We decided to start an orchard.”

It was in 2024, 20 years after the farm was officially established, that Preli decided to focus more on the farm’s orchard and fruit production. By doing so, he renamed the business to Ledge Stone Orchards, something that reflects just what it sounds like – a ledge stone. There is a stone ledge in the middle of the fields where he likes to stand, and he can see several rows of trees growing apples and peaches.

Around 2011, they grew about three acres of their vegetables. “It got to be too much, Preli said. “The orchard is enough, so we have about 28 different varieties out back that we grow.” There are about eight different varieties of apples, and Preli has planted some new types that other farmers, he said, don’t typically grow. “I think I planted about 200 of each of those,” Preli said. “We start picking in mid-August with the varieties.” Around October, other varieties, such as Granny Smiths, are ready for picking. “I can’t wait until the peaches come in,” Ward said. Peach-picking season typically runs from early August through early September.

Today, the orchard sells a variety of produce at its farm stand, including tomatoes, plums, pickles, squash, blueberries and more. The produce comes from local area farms to help promote them.

This year, the orchard will participate in the farm tours that are organized each year by Frank Himmelstein of Himmelstein Farm. Ledge Stone Orchards will hold their tour on September 19. The tours this year are part of the America 250 celebration in Lebanon. “We buy a lot of his produce (Himmelstein Farm) through the summer to keep here with our fruit,” Preli said. “We try to support all the local farms around where we can help them out, too.

Preli said not all farmers go to the farmers’ market, and a lot of the vendors are from out of town. Sometimes, farmers face challenges: they don’t always sell their products, and they end up losing product and money on unsold items. “Doing the farm tours is really beneficial to farms in Lebanon, because it gets people to see what is actually going on in town,” Preli said.

Ledge Stone Orchards is located at 119 West Town Street. For more information, visit ledgestoneorchard.com.