Kollas Orchard

About the Farm

David and Janet Kollas, the husband-and-wife duo behind Kollas Orchard, have spent decades cultivating more than fruit — they've nurtured a living laboratory of innovation in the rolling heart of New England. Born from David's aspiration to explore better, easier methods of apple cultivation, Kollas Orchard took root in 1975 as a personal experiment in thoughtful farming. David, deeply immersed in the science of fruit production, brought to the soil his vast experience as the Extension Fruit Specialist at the University of Connecticut, where for 30 years he served as a trusted advisor to commercial growers across the region.

Though now retired from their formal careers, David and Janet have turned what was once a side endeavor into the cornerstone of their lives. For Janet, a retired elementary school teacher from Hartford, the farm fulfilled a lifelong yearning to live close to the land. Together, their work is marked by diligent experimentation — trying, testing, and refining practices to see what truly benefits a small, family-run, retail orchard. Their approach is both methodical and deeply personal, guided not only by scientific rigor but also by a commitment to meaningful, hands-on labor.

At the core of Kollas Orchard are their three distinct goals: to grow fruit known for its exceptional flavor, to improve low-cost and effective farm practices accessible to small family farms, and to champion the viability of retail orcharding as a rewarding and achievable career. With every grafted branch and every crate of hand-picked apples, David and Janet are not only growing food — they are cultivating a vision of sustainable, thoughtful farming that enriches lives both on and beyond the orchard.