The Fruit Basket

“Driving by we couldn't resist stopping here to get some fresh local fruit. We got some peaches, cherries, plums, and apricot fresh. Dried kiwi and peach. Indian fry bread mix, fajita and taco seasoning mixes, as well as some Anasazi beans and blue pozole along with a growler each of peach and cherry cider. Also they have some delicious honey sticks and artisan crafted sodas (we had the vanilla cream and it was refreshing and delicious). Everything tastes wonderful and was very fresh. The Velarde orchards are the oldest in the Sangre de Cristos mountain range and most is certified organic. While I highly recommend them, I would caution the buyer that they do not provide any itemized receipts so you'll have to keep track of the pricing (and quantities) on your own as some prices aren't clearly marked and many packaged items do not have weights listed. That's the only thing I'd recommend the sellers to fix. Also, they can be a bit higher in price, but please don't let that deter you from getting some of their amazing produce and products.”

“Favorite stop on the way to Red River from Albuquerque. I always get the blue corn pancake mix and local honey for the grandkids for making breakfast at the cabin. This time I bought the handheld pies too, and cherry jam and key lime salsa for a friend. Love it!”

“Eye catching roadside stand. They definitely know the aesthetic that makes people want to pull over! The woman we spoke with was very pleasant. There are a variety of organic produce, jams, traditional baked goods, and powdered chile, etc. It’s fun to look around but the prices are steep so a few items can add up quickly. For example, we got a habanero ketchup and that alone was $11. We were also thrown off because we were told not to touch the produce. Generally, one must check the quality of produce before purchasing. I’m wondering if maybe it was a COVID thing? But we were allowed to handle all of the other items so not sure. I saw that another review mentioned that they discovered some of their produce was bad. I hope it was just a rare occurrence. Anyway, we came away with some apples, donut peaches, a Native American pastry, ketchup, and honey! Everything so far has been good and I would return if traveling through again. Also: This is a seasonal stand! I think it was mentioned that they lose from sometime in November to June.”

“Horrible produce. I stopped for red chile and saw all the fruit. They hovered over me while I was selecting and made it very uncomfortable. I held a nectarine and said I was suprised to see them in October. She said, "Oh ya we have a late crop as we've had no frost". I said they seem a bit dry. She said "oh my mom eats them and they are very juicy." This was all a scam to sell old fruit. I was a sucker and believed her. They are disguisting hard as rock and turned moldy immediately. The plums are hard, taste spoiled, and aren't sweet. I am scared to try the apples. This place is a tourist trap. I fell for it but never again. She probably lied to about the chile being fresh. Shame on them. Trust me you can get better produce elsewhere. And yes I am local to Santa Fe and will spread the word.”

“Do not STOP keep driving!!!! If I could I would give them a NEGATIVE 5. I went this week to this fruit stand and I was going to purchase 2 different kinds of beans, posole, and fruit, I say the total would have been around 60 dollars. However, when I was checking the fruit in the basket to determine which cherries and apricot I was going to purchase a woman in the backroom told the young girl helping me to tell me not to touch the fruit because I was going to bruise it for the future customers. What was I ?(A CUSTOMER). I laid the items on the counter and left, I did not purchase anything from them and I will never stop there again,....WORSE SERVICE AND ROTTEN FRUIT.”

“I agree with many of the recent reviews. The employees were rude, and customer service seemed to be more of an inconvenience than a priority. The fruit must be purchased exactly as it sits in the basket, and we were told not to touch or inspect it before buying. Apparently, evaluating what you're about to spend money on is discouraged. So, if you enjoy surprise fruit purchases, this is the place for you. We used to stop here several times a year, but after this visit, we'll be taking our business elsewhere. Fortunately, there are plenty of places that still understand the concept of customer service.”

“Very sad bought expensive peaches as you see 5 small peaches for $4.00 that were brown and Miele inside . O’ well I Thought the pretty pie will be great, sad to say that was not the case as you can see it had tons of this clear gel more than fruit with no taste the pie was just not edible. Hopefully this was just a mistake not a roadside stand ripping off passing travelers. BEWARE!!”

“Exceptionally rude young employees who follow select customers and make unnecessary and unwanted remarks on items. Must buy fruit as is without being able to asses for freshness or ripeness. Was looking to buy numerous varieties of syrups, jams, fruits, nuts, and ciders. Left without making a purchase after such a poor experience. Will not be returning.”