Family Of 50+ Heads To Wickham's To Pick Apples, Make Memories

CUTCHOGUE, NY — "Families that pick together, stick together." The words were written on T-shirts worn by 50 members of the same extended family who headed to Wickham's Fruit Farm Saturday for a day of apple picking that has turned into a beloved annual tradition.

Four generations of the same family, including the Brucculeris, Daquets, Knopfs, Anastasios, and Cinquemanis turned out at the farm, located at 28700 Main Road in Cutchogue on the North Fork, for a day of apple-picking.

The event has been ongoing since 2006 and has been organized every year by Joanna Brucculeri, of Ronkonkoma, to celebrate her birthday. Her father, Angelo Brucculeri, had just been diagnosed with cancer in 2006 when he attended the first outing; he died that December, she said.

But the tradition, which has grown from four people, to a dozen, to the current total of between 50 and 60, is one her father would have loved to see flourish, Brucculeri said.

"My father was a great man. His motto was, 'My door is always open.' He was always about get-togethers. I feel as though I get to carry on in his footsteps,'" Joanna said.

The apple-picking get-together, which marked its 16th year Saturday — despite the pandemic last year, the gathering was still scheduled, and Joanna had the T-shirts made to celebrate the 15th anniversary — is one that means everything to family members who come from across Long Island and as far away as Brooklyn and Queens to see their loved ones.

Happy cries of greeting echoed at the farm as family members hugged one another, some of whom hadn't seen one another in months.

Fran Daquet said it's a special time when all can get together, despite busy schedules.

The apple-picking takes place every year, rain or shine, all agreed. The family loves the green Mutsu apples, perfect for baking and eating, too.

This year, owner Jonathan Wickham had a banner made to greet the family in the orchard, which read "The Tradition Continues . . ."

Jonathan Wickham told Patch why the farm means so much to so many: "Two of the greatest luxuries of our era are space and time. When you pick your own apples at Wickham's Fruit Farm, there's plenty of space and there's time to experience the outdoors the way you want to experience it. You can make it a memorable family outing, as our friends do every year, but in addition, if you're a single person or a couple, we welcome you as well."

Family members who gathered Saturday said they appreciate the yearly gathering because unlike the traditional holidays, when many gather with their own smaller family groups, the apple-picking day is the one day all year when the whole extended family can reunite.

All said they look forward to "feasting" and fun — the day includes a big dinner afterward that has always taken place at Joanna's parent's Angelo and Antonia's house in Ronkonkoma. "We used to have an apple pie cook-off with the apples we'd picked — that took place for six of the 16 years. Every year, I make apple pies with the apples from Wickham's," she said.

Natalia Anastasio, 12, and Christina Knopf, 9, said they look forward to seeing their cousins, many of whom have traveled a long distance.

"This event started off small and ended up being huge," said Carmela Knopf, adding that togetherness was the hallmark of the day.

Sal Cinquemani and his wife Maria of Lindenhurst also said the tradition meant everything to their family. Every year, Sal said he buys big bags of donuts to share. One year, little Johnny Anastasio, 7, was asked why he loved the donuts so much. "It's tradition!" the little boy said.

This year, Johnny told Patch he loves seeing his family at the apple orchard every year.

"We love our tradition," John and Mary Anastasio, who brought their three children, said. "This has become a holiday for us— Joanna's holiday."

A bastion of the North Fork for 11 generations, the Wickham family's ownership of the land and historic, beloved bicentennial farm stretches back to the 1600s — and for generations, thousands of families have headed to the farm for the joy of apple picking and fall fun.

Tom Wickham, who has farmed the land for decades, said the annual ritual of apple-picking holds a special place in generations of hearts.

"Every Saturday during apple-picking season six or eight families tell me that they are back again for their 10th, or 15th or 20th year," he said. "The record, I think, is a family last week that told me they have not missed their annual apple picking with us for 36 years. Sometimes they tell me why they come, and it is not just for the apples: These families, mostly from western Long Island, want to somehow connect with the land."

He added: "They would like their children and now their grandchildren to have an authentic farm experience, to have a conversation with a member of a farm family, to go home thinking about being in our shoes. They sometimes express concern about the loss of farmland and of families from that land, and ask about our family."

Wickham said welcomes the apple pickers and engages with them as much as he can. "It's fun. I have learned things from some of them and tried to answer their questions. It is, for me, a deeply satisfying ongoing relationship with cheerful, caring people," he said.

The farm has always been a place for families together — for memories to be made.

Thinking back to that first year, Joanna said her father, although battling cancer, wanted to celebrate her birthday with her. "Dad was having a good day— and we came to this farm," she said.

When he was too weak to walk, the Wickhams gave him a chair, she said.

The year after he died, although she was finding it difficult to celebrate her birthday, Joanna said she brought the family together again at the farm, where they found healing and love in the deep roots of tradition and memories.

Although some family members are separated by distance and months during the year, Joanna said, "We become a family, one family, on this farm. It's more than just apples — but the apples are fantastic!"