6 minute read
A Bushel and Peck of Traditions
A Bushel and Peck of Traditions
Fall in love with the Community Orchard
By Ann Foster Thelen
The smell of cinnamon mingled with fresh baked apple pies wafts through the air. Children giggle as they hop aboard a special cruiser on the way to a jewel-toned pumpkin patch. Corn sways and leaves crackle as people pass through a corn maze. Highland Cattle, with long hair and horns, entertain guests with their social personalities. These experiences and more are woven into family outings and traditions at the Community Orchard in Fort Dodge.
Known as an ideal fall destination for the community and visitors from across Iowa and neighboring states, the apple orchard has been serving customers since 1940. Through the years, a café, extensive gift shop, playground, tours and kids’ camps have been added to the business, complementing the high-quality apple varieties and related products sold at the store.
New owners Denny and Emily (Pingel) Stucky have bushels of memories from coming to the orchard as kids and, most recently, experiencing the fall splendor through their children’s eyes. The Stuckys purchased the business from Greg and Bev Baedke, who owned and operated the orchard for 40 years and were the second generation of the family to be in the apple business.
Golden Opportunity
“There is so much wonderful history at the Community Orchard, and we’re excited to build on the success while helping families make new memories,” says Denny, who spent the past 15 years working for Dale’s Petroleum Service, which built propane and anhydrous plants. “As kids, mom and dad would bring us out as a family, and we would enjoy apple dumplings and cinnamon ice cream.”
Emily, who spent the last 15 years working as a mortgage officer, has similar memories from growing up and also with the couple’s children, who are 12, 10 and 6. “When I look at pictures, there are so many of our kids enjoying fall fun at the orchard,” she says.
For the Stuckys, who don’t have a background in the apple-growing business, owning the Community Orchard transpired quickly. The Baedkes wanted to step back from the business. The news made its way to the Stuckys, and after several meetings and discussions, the Baedkes knew they had found the perfect owners.
“Greg and Bev have been by our side during the transition and will be working with us for a year; we are so grateful,” Emily explains. “Our kids will grow up in the business, just as their kids did. We’re proud to carry on a tradition of family values deeply rooted in this incredible destination.”
The orchard, which lies along the beautiful Des Moines River Valley, spans more than 100 rolling acres with 6,000 trees, featuring more than a dozen varieties of fresh from-the-tree apples.
“This year, we have 2,000 new Honey Crisp apple trees. They are growing on a trellis system that is irrigated and planted just three feet apart,” explains Denny, noting these trees are on approximately 5 acres and will produce as much as the rest of the orchard when they mature. “When people drive by, they think we’re growing grapes because they look so different from traditional apple trees.”
The apples are all pre-picked and available for sale in the store’s market. In addition, various foods and delicious bakery items are available in the Apple Orchard Bakery. The Apple Orchard Café is open from Aug. 1 through Dec. 23 each season and serves soup, sandwiches, salads and desserts. The Community Orchard also offers a variety of gift boxes and baskets for holiday gift-giving. Above the café and market is an entire floor of one-of-a-kind home décor and gifts.
For apple lovers, shoppers and kids of all ages, there is truly something for everyone when visiting the Community Orchard.
Beginning Seeds
The Community Orchard began in the early 1940s when a local medical doctor and his wife bought the current farm, which initially operated as a dairy. Dr. Paul Otto and his wife Edna were friends with a horticulture professor at the University of Minnesota. The couple invited their friend to visit them at their newly purchased dairy farm.
During the visit, they talked about planting a few different varieties of apples to see what might grow in Iowa. After several years, the trees began producing wonderful apples, and Dr. Otto gave them away to his patients. Soon, residents wanted to buy some of his apples. The following fall, they sold their apples underneath a tree from a farm trailer and sold out within 30 minutes every time. The seeds of a flourishing business were planted.
In 1952, the dairy barn was turned into an apple barn, and in 1962, they hired Don Baedke (Greg’s father) as a full-time employee. Don and his wife Darlene eventually bought the orchard. Greg and Bev were married in 1970 and soon became partial and, eventually, complete owners of the business.
Apples at the Community Orchard include: Braeburn, Cameo, Chieftain, Cortland, Gala, Haralson, Honey Crisp, Honey Sweet, Jonathan, Paula Red, Red Delicious, Wealthy, Yellow Delicious and Zestar.
Tour the Orchard
The Community Orchard staff offers an excellent tour of how the orchard works. Students enjoy a tour through the bakery, sales room, large coolers and cider press to see how tasty ciders are made.
After the indoor tour, students hop aboard a state-of-the-art Pumpkin Cruiser to enjoy festive music on the way to a pumpkin patch. The tour guides share the ever-important role of the worker bee pollination and talk about healthy trees. The tour ends with playtime in the Back 40 Playground.
The Back 40 Playground at the orchard is a special place that keeps families busy for much of the day. Open daily through October, the playground features: A Pretend Cow to Milk, Farm Games, Tire Mountain, Farm Tile Slide, Jumping Pillow, Animal Area, Cow Trains, Farm Tile Rollers, Pedal Karts, Mighty Trikes, Duck Races, The Corn Box and Ellie’s Play House.
Win a $100 gift card to the CommunityOrchard for a bushel of items for apple lovers. Visit iowafoodandfamily.com/magazine/community-orchard and enter to win.
