Ararat, VA

Change City

---

• Back to Things to Do

Levering Orchard

163 Levering Lane

Ararat, VA 24053

Levering Orchard

276-755-3593

About Us

"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?

On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.

In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.

levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.

On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."

The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours! 

In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.

Flag This Place

Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors.

AARP Events for Ararat

AARP Events for Ararat

• Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication

  Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET

  Online Event

• Disrupt Aging Book Club

  Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. ET

  Online Event

• Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams

  Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. ET

  Facebook

  Online Event

View All AARP Events

Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal

• Immediate access to your member benefits
• Discounts on travel and everyday savings
• Subscription to AARP The Magazine
• FREE second membership

Join AARP

Already a member? Renew or Print Card

Facebook

Contact AARP
Virginia

• VAAARP@aarp.org
• AARP Virginia
• Contact Us

  

Return to top

Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]
Code Context
            <?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
            <?php if (!$nowrapper):  // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118

Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]
Code Context
            <?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
            <?php if (!$nowrapper):  // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118

Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]
Code Context
            <?php if (!$nowrapper):  // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118

Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]
Code Context
            <?php if (!$nowrapper):  // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118

Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]
Code Context
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118

Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]
Code Context
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
                    include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp'
$dataForView = array(
	'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
',
	'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
',
	'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP'
)
$content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box">
	<div class="module-spacer">
		<header><h1 class="article-headline">Levering Orchard</h1></header>

		<div class="row">
			<div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer">
				<p>
					<div>
											<div>163 Levering Lane</div>
											<div>
							<span>Ararat</span>,
							<span>VA</span>
												<span>24053</span>
											</div>
					</div>
				</p>
								<div>
					<i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> 
										<a href="http://www.leveringorchard.com/" target="_blank">Levering Orchard</a>
								</div>
												<div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 276-755-3593</div>
				
			</div>
			<div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer">
				<iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Levering+Orchard%2C+163+Levering+Lane%2C+Ararat%2C+VA+24053" allowfullscreen> </iframe>
			</div>
		</div>


				<div class="module-spacer clearfix">
						<p>About Us</p>
<p>"Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering's virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank leveringgrandfather, Ralph Levering, who was originally a strawberry and sweet potato farmer in eastern Tennessee. Legend has it that he grew tired of having to stoop for a living. He wanted to reach for the sky as he picked his fruit. So in 1907, the Columbia University-educated Ralph Levering wrote the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C., inquiring about the best place to set out an apple orchard in the Southeast. Where would apples grow best to escape spring freezes?</p>
<p>On the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains came the reply. There, the soil is fertile and deep and the sunlight abundant. There the so-called "thermal belt" along the side of the mountain offers protection from freezes which often kill fruit in its embryonic stages at lower and higher elevations. In 1907, Ralph Levering took two legs of a famous walk. He walked all the way from from Asheville, N.C., to Roanoke, Va. and both times stopped at this particular piece of land in Carroll County, Va., that would eventually become Levering Orchard. One stipulation made by his wife, Clara Osborne Levering, was that the place have beautiful view. And a beautiful view it has. The other stipulation was that it be near a Quaker community, and that was answered too with the Quaker meeting in nearby Mount Airy, NC, just 12 miles to the south.</p>
<p>In February, 1908, Ralph and Clara Levering moved into a log cabin on the lawn of what is now Frank and Wanda Levering's residence. There Clara, 9 months pregnant, gave birth to Sam Levering, the third of her three children. A well-known Quaker, Sam was Frank's father; he ran the orchard from 1939 until 1986, when he and his wife, Miriam, entered into a partnership with Frank and Wanda.</p>
<p>levering orchard, virginia cherry orchard, apple orchard, sweet cherries, outdoor theater vaLevering Orchard was primarily an apple orchard until the 1970s when Sam Levering had a major insight -- the several cherry trees planted near his and Miriam's home drew flocks of pick-your-own customers just as surely as the multitudes of hungry birds. There were never enough cherries to meet demand. So, despite the conventional wisdom that cherries couldn't be grown commercially in this region, in 1972, Sam boldly pushed out a large block of apple trees and went into the cherry business in a big way. Sam's risky experiment turned out to be the then-floundering orchard's salvation. Today Levering Orchard's primary crop is cherries.</p>
<p>On a good season, the cherries start as early as late May and can extend to the Fourth of July and sometimes beyond. Almost 30 years after Sam's planting, Levering Orchard claims the title as the largest cherry orchard in the South and draws customers from as far as Washington DC and Atlanta to pick its 43 varieties of sweet and sour cherries. As Deane Kern wrote for a recent issue of Blue Ridge Country magazine, "Every June, Levering Orchard welcomes more than 20,000 visitors from the Blue Ridge and beyond.... Frank always encourages visitors to bring picnic lunches and take time to savor the clear mountain breezes and breathtaking scenic views. He declares that his delicious fruit cannot be found in grocery stores at even twice the price."</p>
<p>The orchard maintains its ties with the past and continues to have a smaller operation with peaches, nectarines and pears in July and August and apples in the fall. Tour buses, church and school groups are also welcome and if you can catch Frank or Wanda, they're happy to give tours!&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2001, Wanda and Frank's Orchard Gap Press published the Fruit Orchard Cookbook, which drew together over 90 years of favorite family recipes. For more information, check out Orchard Gap Press.</p>		</div>
		

	<div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;">
                <form method="post" action="/ararat-va/report/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html">
        <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button>
    </form>
        
            </div>

    <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. 
    </div>
    <style>
    .report_button_message {
        color: #333;
        font-size: 12px;
        clear: both;
    }
    </style>
		
	</div>
</div>
</div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750">
<a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" 
	href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" 
	alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" 
	src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a>
</div></div></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default-->
<!-- module_RHS - AARP Events -->

<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
	<header>
		<div class="pull-right">
			<a href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">
				<img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" />
			</a>
		</div>
		<h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
		<h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Ararat</h2>
	</header>
	<div class="wrap">
		<div class="ar-listing snippet">
			<ul class="list">
				<li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-wy-holiday-harmony-qigong-and-nonviolent-communication-with-nate-11232024-2cn9yxyg6g3.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-HOLIDAY-HARMONY-QIGONG-AND-NONVIOLENT-COMMUNICATION">Holiday Harmony: Qigong and Nonviolent Communication</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-disrupt-aging-book-club-11252024-pwn732szj7q.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-DISRUPT-AGING-BOOK-CLUB">Disrupt Aging Book Club</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 10:30&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue"></p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1">

					
					<h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-il-fraud-fighting-fraudlettes-discuss-healthcare-scams-112524-virtual-3lnlhdpgrsl.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-FRAUD-FIGHTING-FRAUDLETTES-SPOTTING-HEALTH-CARE-SCAMS">Fraud Fighting Fraudlettes: Spotting Health Care Scams</a></h2>
					<p class="time">Monday, Nov 25, 2024 at 11:00&nbsp;a.m. ET</p>
					<p class="venue">Facebook</p>
					<p class="loc">Online Event</p>
					
				</li>			</ul>

			<p><a class="link-red" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p>
	
		</div>
	</div>
</div>


<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;">
	<img class="img-responsive image" 
		title="image of two AARP membership cards"
		alt="image of two AARP membership cards" 
		src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png">
	<div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div>
	<ul class="list">
		<li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li>
		<li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li>
		<li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li>
		<li>FREE second membership</li>
	</ul>
	<div class="action">
		<a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Join AARP</a>
		<div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-ARARAT-VA">Renew</a> or 
			<a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div>
	</div>
</div>
<style>
.membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;}
.membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; }
</style>
<div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper">
                    
                    <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_93505" data-adsize="300x250">
                        
                         
                            <script type="text/javascript">
                                if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){
                                  AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_93505', size:'300x250'});
                                }
                            </script>
                         
                    </div>
                </div>
<div class="module-spacer text-center">
<div class="fb-page" alt="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" title="Image of AARP Virginia Facebook Page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" data-tabs="timeline" width="320" height="" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true" lazy="true">
	<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia">Facebook</a></blockquote>
</div>
</div>

 
<div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer">
<header>
<h2>Contact AARP<br />Virginia</h2>
</header>
<div class="wrap">

<div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer">
<ul class="list-unstyled">
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:VAAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAAARP@aarp.org</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Virginia</a></li>
<li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/contact-aarp-virginia/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-ARARAT-VA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li>


</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AARPVirginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/facebook-dreamstale25.png"></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;
<a href="https://twitter.com/aarpVa" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Twitter"><img alt="Twitter icon" title="Twitter icon" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/responsive/icons/48/x-logo-black.png"></a>



</div>
</div>

</div></div>
	<div class="col-md-8 left-rail left-bot"></div>
	<div class="col-md-4 right-rail right-bot thin-rhs"></div>
</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	</div>
<div class="row oneColumnLayout">
	<div class="col-md-12"><!-- script to activate navbar -->
	<script type="text/javascript">
		jQuery(".channelBarMain ul.left li a").click(function() {
			window.location = jQuery(this).attr('href');
		});
	</script>
</div>
</div>
'
$scripts_for_layout = '<title>Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA</title>
<meta name="page_title" content="Levering Orchard - Ararat, VA"/>
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
<meta content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank" name="description"/>
<meta content="Levering, Orchard, Ararat, VA" name="keywords"/>
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/levering-orchard-ararat-va.html"/>
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/>
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="place"/>
<meta property="og:title" content="Levering Orchard"/>
<meta property="og:description" content="About Us &quot;Levering Orchard was founded in 1908 by Frank Levering&#039;s virginia simple living, pear orchard, nectarines, centennial farm, frank"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/>
<meta property="place:location:latitude" content="36.650227"/>
<meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-80.61521"/>
'
$title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP'
$asset_version = '230831'
$min = true
$nowrapper = false
$css = ''
$highlighting = ''
$location = '<a href="/ararat-va/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HOME">Ararat, VA</a>'
$no_header = false
$header_title = '<a href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/">Places</a>'
$header_subtitle = ''
$isPR = false
$navbar = '<nav class="section" role="button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapse">
	<div class="section-toggle">Sections <i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></div>
	<ul class="secondary-menu" id="secondary-menu" role="menu" aria-busy="true">
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/aarp-events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-OLE" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Online & Local Events</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="active"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/things-to-do/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-TTD" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-THINGSTODO">Things to Do</a></li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/happenings/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-NF" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HAPPENINGS">News Feed</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/volunteering/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-VOL" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-VOLUNTEERING">Volunteering</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HC">Home & Community</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class=""><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem" href="/ararat-va/movies/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MFG" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MOVIESFORGROWNUPS">Movies for Grownups</a> </li>
		<li role="presentation" class="more nosep " id="submenu-more">
			<span role="menuitem" class="menuitem" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MORE">More<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i></span>
			<ul class="secondary-submenu animate slide-in" id="secondary-submenu">
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/discounts/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LO" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-OFFERS">Local Offers</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/local-resources/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-LR" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-LOCALRESOURCES">Local Resources</a> </li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/jobs/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-WJ" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-WORK&JOBS">Work & Jobs</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/events/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-CC" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-EVENTS">Community Calendar</a></li>
				<!--
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/healthy-living/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-HEALTHY_LIVING" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-HEALTHY_LIVING">Healthy Living</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/arts-entertainment/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-ARTS_ENT" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-ARTS_ENT">Arts & Entertainment</a></li>
				<li role="presentation"><a role="menuitem" class="menuitem " href="/ararat-va/museums/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-NAV-MUSEUMS" data-formelementid="LOCAL-LNK-CLK-MUSEUMS">Museums</a></li>
				-->
			</ul>
		</li>
		
	</ul>
</nav>'
$header_custom = ''
$breadcrumbs = array(
	(int) 0 => array(
		'title' => 'Things to Do',
		'slug' => 'things-to-do'
	)
)
$row = array(
	'title' => 'Back to Things to Do',
	'slug' => 'things-to-do'
)
$i = (int) 0
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244
include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244
View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971
View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933
View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546
View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481
Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963
AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136
PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501
ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ??
Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 491
Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 193
Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167
[main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 118