Pies have become synonymous with Thanksgiving, and there’s no better pies than the ones from Rice Fruit Farm.
Rice Fruit Farm is a local treasure in the heart of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Originally opened over 100 years ago in 1894 as just a farm stand, the fruit farm has grown alongside the town throughout generations. In the late 1960’s, the Rice family opened the bakery attached to the stand, introducing fresh-baked goods – like pies – made from their fruit, including peaches, which Rice’s was the first to bring to the area. After a short closure, the Maloni family bought the fruit farm and reopened in April of 2015 in the original 1924 building under the classic “Rice” name. They brought back the original baker and all the original machines, allowing them to continue producing the famous pies and cider donuts the community loved. They revived not just the business, but all the charm it carried. Today, Rice Fruit Farm has expanded into a full small-town affair, offering a counter of baked goods, coffee, homemade ice cream, local products, and more–it’s not just a local vendor; it’s a place where people can gather and settle in the comfort of company and nostalgia.
Second only to their own muffin tops, Rice’s pies have become more than a town favorite. They’re a town tradition. Every fall, members of the community used to order their turkeys from Bennett Turkey Farm and then head down the road to get their Rice’s pie for their Thanksgiving feast. Although Bennet Farm has since closed, the orders for pie keep rolling. “Every year, even before Halloween, we always have people asking, ‘Can I order my pies yet?’” Owner Anthony Maloni says, “They just love their pies.” Each year, Rice’s accepts preorders all the way up to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and receives thousands of orders. The Farm is only closed for three days out of the year on Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving, “but this is definitely the busiest week of the year for us,” says Maloni, “we work around the clock.” Not only do families love Rice’s pies for their Thanksgiving table, local businesses and institutions also place annual orders for hundreds of pies to give to their employees as gifts because they love them so much and look forward to receiving them. Local schools, colleges, and sports teams run fundraisers offering the pies, delivering the baked-good phenomenon right to people’s homes. Recently, the rise of a social ‘Friendsgiving’ has contributed another boost to the pie-preorder-pandemonium. As adult-age friends use the holiday season as their cue to get together, adding orders made for the weekend before or after Thanksgiving, when busy schedules line up and they can get together again.
As Thanksgiving approaches, the tradition of sharing a Rice Fruit Farm pie continues to bring families, friends, and the community together. Whether it’s a classic apple, a rich chocolate cream, or a seasonal favorite, Rice’s pies connect generations and preserve the spirit of Wilbraham, reminding us that the best traditions are the ones we gather around, year after year.
“People take their Thanksgiving pie very seriously.” - Anthony Maloni, Owner
“Rice’s is synonymous with Wilbraham, and Rice’s pies have become synonymous with Thanksgiving.” - Anthony Maloni, Owner