Played-out alfalfa field is transformed
Carol Stender
Date Modified: 11/04/2009 3:06 PM
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Agri News staff writer
FRAZEE, Minn. -- Gary Goreham describes the 30l acres he purchased with his wife, Jonna, in 1998 as a field of "played-out alfalfa."
The couple has since turned that acquisition near Frazee into an agri-tourism stop.
Their Maple Hills Orchard offers a fun family experience. Depending on the season, visitors can pick a pumpkin from the farm's patch or flowers from the U-pick garden. They can visit Trudy, Penelope, Eggy and Clucky, the farm's chickens or purchase squash, pumpkins, corn, apples and honey from the bee hives. Free-trade coffees and teas and other items can be purchased from the retail store.
The Gorehams developed the business using Gary's rural development background and Jonna's special decorating touch.
Gary is a North Dakota State University rural sociology professor. He works with communities' economic development plans.
As they contemplated what to do with the land, they thought briefly about livestock but felt it would be a challenge. Row crops would be difficult. Apples seemed the best choice.
"It seemed like something we could handle," he said.
Their first trees were Haralsons. They now grow nine apple varieties and have 800 trees.
"We've learned a lot. It's been exciting," Gary said.
Jonna said Maple Hills Orchard seems like a dream come true.
It didn't happen overnight.
"It takes awhile for apple trees to come into production," Gary said. "Our first challenge was deer. They ate the trees right down. We'd hang hair and put out coyote urine to keep them away, but it was the 10-foot high fence that did it. That was 100 percent effective in keeping the deer out."
The orchard is one way Gary gets back to his roots. He calls himself an "old South Dakota farm boy" who loves growing things. Jonna loves plants, too, but she never thought she'd be living in the country growing apples in northern Minnesota. Her parents were both teachers and worked for the Department of Defense. They taught military children throughout the world.
"I've grown up in some of the largest cities in the world," she said. "We left when I was three and came back when I was in college."
The orchard is pesticide-free and they mulch the trees. They encourage beneficial insects and have wildflower strips in the orchard for bees. Pollination is important so they started raising their own bees. They sell processed honey and raw-cut combs at their store.
The Gorehams are Minnesota Apple Growers Association members. They are among the growers who've planted the new SweeTango variety. They got one apple from the new plantings. They hope the SweeTango trees bear more fruit next year.
Other varieties include Zestar!, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Wolf River, Stella, and Chestnut Crab. They also grow Waverly, one of the first varieties developed in the state.
Maple Hills Orchard is open from August to the end of October. Their Friday and Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
They want their farm to be a destination, Gary said. They offer pumpkin patch tours and encourage visitors to take pictures in the photo garden. They've hosted wedding teas and a wedding in their gardens.
To learn more about Maple Hills Orchard, visit their web site at www.maplehillsorchard.com.