The Sandisfield Orchard was granted approval to expand its operations by a Special Permit signed at the end of September.

Calvin Rodman, who owns the Orchard with his wife, Emily Melchior, told the Times, "The permit gives us the assurance to invest in the property as a business."

He said that their goal with the Orchard is to "sell apples, and all of the work we've done is to make that happen. We don't want to turn the farm into something else, and we don't want to run another type of business on top of what we're already doing."

The Special Permit, which was postponed from last summer to be redrafted after comments from neighbors and other businesses, will allow the Orchard to grow beyond the restrictions of its former agricultural zoning.

Rodman explained, "It allows us to have the cafe open year-round, if demand exists. We could host events like weddings but for now we're only looking at small events that are compatible with apple season or in summer the farming operation. Higher-stakes events are not our focus. We can continue with our new cider building and serve cider. It also gives us the opportunity to carry a wider range of local products in our farm store."

Both Rodman and Melchior said they wanted Sandisfield Orchard to be "a beautiful, relaxing place to pick apples and spend the day with family and friends, as it's been now for more than three decades. We feel that if we keep it simple and produce the highest quality fruit, cider donuts, and cider that we possibly can, we can continue to draw more and more customers.

"We hope our work over the last four years has demonstrated our commitment to the project and earned the trust of our community and our neighbors. We will continue to do our best to honor the trust and support we've received."

The Select Board apparently understood the difficulty the Orchard faces in predicting exactly how each element of the business will grow, and the Special Permit was crafted to allow Rodman and Melchior to convert their spaces over time, as they might be able to in a mixed-use zone.