Planting a Seed

Boggio’s Orchard & Produce became a business in 1992, but Keith and Denise Boggio had learned the workings of farming and an orchard from Keith’s grandfather, Frank Boggio, and his father, Joe Boggio.

Boggio’s Orchard is a mainstay in the Illinois Valley

Story and Photos by Brandon LaChance

When someone thinks about apples or wants to visit an apple orchard in the fall, there are a few options. One of the most popular fall spots for apples in North Central Illinois is Boggio’s Orchard and Produce.

There are many reasons why Boggio’s is a hit with locals and tourists alike. It could be the history and longevity of the business, since the orchard located at 12087 IL-71 in Granville has been running since 1992.

“Grandpa Frank Boggio used to have the orchard on the hill. When he retired, he showed Keith and I how to take care of it,” said Denise Boggio, who married Keith and has three children, Keith, Alyssa, and Justina. “Then Keith’s dad (Joe) and Keith put the orchard in in 1989. We opened the business in 1992. The trees were really small back then, but we started getting apples on them.

“It started with sweet corn and vegetables because Grandpa Boggio always peddled veggies in LaSalle and Peru. Keith and I didn’t have anything to do with the corn at first. We started with the pumpkin patch and the apple trees because we bought the orchard from Keith’s mom (Rose) and dad.”

Keith and Denise stayed away from corn originally because they didn’t want to step on Joe’s toes or take away from his business. However, when Joe Boggio retired,

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he saw what his son and daughter-inlaw were doing with the orchard and knew he should run the farm.

The couple took over the corn, but they continued to grow the orchard as their rows upon rows of apple trees, pumpkin patch, train, trampoline park, slides, apple cider, apple donuts, fudge, sauces for cooking, gourds, goats, and a camel named Carmel continued to draw guests.

“I always wanted to do it, but Keith didn’t want to. I had all of these plans in my head of what I wanted to do,” Denise said. “Keith isn’t really a people person. He is a hard worker and cares for people, so he agreed eventually.

“I wanted kids to have the experience of coming to the farm and picking their own vegetables or picking their own food,” she said. “Knowing where the food came from meant more than anything. Right now, they go to the store and that’s where everything comes from, in their eyes. They don’t know it comes from a tree unless you tell them.”

The apples are a mainstay of Boggio’s business and one of the reasons people come around.

Boggio’s holds approximately 1,500 apple trees and 16 different types, such as Red Delicious and Golden Delicious (used for school tours), Redcort, Macintosh, Paula Red (used in the apple cider), Lodi, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Arkansas Black, Laura Red, Jonathan, Grimes Golden, Ozark Gold, and Fuji.

“We are blessed with our apple crop this year,” Denise said. “This year is better than normal. We have some trees that are ready early, and we have some late ones, but they’re all growing great this year.”

Another reason Boggio’s is popular is because of the family vibe. It started with Keith and Denise’s three children, then children in the community, and now their grandchildren run zig-zags in the apple trees and pumpkin patches.

“My parents worked really, really hard. Once the orchard really started to take off, it was good to see they were finally getting a reward for all of their hard work,” said Justina Chlum, Keith and Denise’s daughter, who has her own children, 6-year-old Ryne and 3-year-old Reid, with her husband, Kevin Chlum. “I’m super proud of them and what the orchard has become. I love taking my kids there and showing them all of the things we did on a daily basis.

“I think growing up, it was hard to see what they were doing. I was able to appreciate it at an older age. My parents taught us a really good work ethic, but unfortunately, we didn’t get to do things most kids got to do when they were young. They taught us the work ethic and what it means to have to work for a dollar. They taught us a lot of life lessons that I know I’ll teach my kids because they’re important,” she said.

Justina and her family are at the orchard every weekend that they don’t have plans out of town and make stops throughout the week to help out. The busy season for the orchard begins around Labor Day and runs through October, including a craft show on Sept. 24-25 which brings in vendors from all over the area.

“We bring in thousands of people from outside of the community, which in turn, does benefit our community,” Justina said. “The visitors are not just at the orchard, but in our town spending money at the restaurants downtown and at the gas station.

“I do feel my parents have had an impact on improving the community. They’ve hired a lot of high school kids throughout the years. A lot of them come back and thank my dad for being a hard boss who taught them a good work ethic because it benefited them throughout their life.”

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A Place for Family Fun

Country Kids Farm Market is about the kids

Story by Brandon LaChance

It’s common knowledge Illinois is all about corn. There are corn fields along every interstate and highway, and many schools are surrounded by corn. There are corn festivals throughout the state. And it’s one of the top export moneymakers in Illinois.

While corn is the No. 1 summer priority for Country Kids Farm Market to help keep the lights on and the tractors moving, kids move to the top priority spot in the fall.

“The fall is completely different from summer. It’s a slower pace. It’s more geared toward kids and family events,” said Kelsey Michelini-Brannan, who

See KIDS page 19

Country Kids Farm Market in Peru is an excellent spot to enjoy family time and snap unforgettable photos.

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