The sprawling Waldoch farm – which has a footprint of approximately 200 acres – is adding an apple orchard.
Waldoch already has signature attractions such as a corn maze, a pumpkin patch and sunflower fields. Apple trees could become another popular farm trademark.
“I’ve been dreaming about an apple orchard on the farm for way too long,” said Dough Joyer, the GM at Waldoch Farm. “Ten-plus years.”
Doug and his brother Joe Joyer are part of the Waldoch family farm team. They are in the early stages of starting an apple orchard that will consist of four acres of high density production.
Said Joe Joyer: “It’s been a work in progress for the last three years.”
In the future the newly planted trees will yield an apple crop.
“This year we planted just over 1,400 trees,” Joe Joyer said. “These ones will hopefully be producing in three years. Next year we’ll be getting another 2,300 trees, so we’ll have just under 4,000 trees total on the farm.”
Eventually there will be 14 different types of apples grown in the orchard. From First Kiss, to Honeycrisp, to Tango and more, there will be plenty of choices.
“We feel good bringing apples into the mix with our sunflowers and pumpkin patches and corn maze,” Doug Joyer said. “We were just kind of missing that early September craze,”
“The goal is that you’ll be able to come out to the farm,” Joe Joyer said. “Come pick some apples and get a variety you’ll get to taste and enjoy when you bring ’em home.”
Joey Appleseed
Forget about Johnny Appleseed, Joe Joyer is Waldoch’s version of Joey Appleseed.
“I think that might be true,” Joe Joyer said.
He has a passion for bringing apples to a farm that produces strawberries and vegetables. Joe Joyer became an apple expert while taking agriculture classes at the University of Minnesota.
“We’re really excited for that first apple, first crop to come through,” Joe Joyer said. “I can’t wait to take a bite out of the first apple that we grew ourselves on our farm.”
“It took my brother Joe coming back to the farm to really give us the capacity to take on a project like this,” Doug Joyer said. “For Joe to come home to the farm full-time and be able to take on the responsibility of picking all the different things was a huge boost and really made it possible.”
For the Joyers there will be lots of sweat equity put into their orchard before apples appear – but they believe it will be worth the wait.
“We want you to enjoy coming into our orchard with your family,” Joe Joyer said. “We want to see your kids reaching up and picking that apple off the tree.”
