About Us

Our orchard story begins in 1991.  One year after we built our home on five acres in Union, IL.  Our daughter, 10 years old, son 7 were encouraged by the advice of their father,  took their combined allowance money, $8.00 and purchased pumpkin seeds.  That fall those seeds produced a crop of about 200 pumpkins.  Their mother, thought it would be great fun to sell the pumpkins out of their front yard.  In one week they were all sold!  The remaining three weeks in October we were able to take the earnings, buy pumpkins from neighboring farmers and sell them.  Our children, tithed, and spent some of their earning, but through much encouragement from their parents, they also saved money to buy pumpkin seeds for the next year.  A few years after, people were asking for apples more than pumpkins in the fall season.  We planted our first 100 trees.  We now have 2500 dwarf apple trees, a barn store and a food kiosk.  This all came from the initial $8.00.

We have had some good seasons and some not so good season, but we have stuck with it because we say, "there is always next year." Our children have moved on in their own lives, but we continue to open our Orchard to the public in September and October.

We Love working outside and it still amazes us when we see apples growing on trees!  We work hard, but only God can make an apple, or anything else grow.  We especially love meeting customers who come to our business and many of you have become our friends.  So exciting to share our little bit of this earth the Lord has entrusted us with!

Ralph & SueEllen Arndt