By STAN MADDUX
Indiana Correspondent ROLLING PRAIRIE, Ind. — New owners are reopening Williams Orchard, once in the same family since being planted by a Civil War veteran. People from Indiana, Michigan and Illinois used to flocking there for apples will now experience for the first time a festival-type atmosphere. Hayrides, bounce houses, and a petting zoo, along with a bar serving hard cider inside the original portion of the 1870s barn, are among the new offerings planned for the grand reopening August 31 and throughout the harvest season. “Williams Orchard had a real historic focus on apples and peaches; that was their business. We’re interested in creating a little more of an experience for those who visit the farm,” said John Drummond. He and his wife, Robyn, purchased the 135-acre spread owned by Ken Williams until his death in February 2018, when he was 98. His grandparents, Benjamin and Ester Williams, had founded the orchard in the rolling hills of LaPorte County in northwestern Indiana, less than a mile from the Michigan state line. The orchard, about 60 miles east of Chicago, was not open for picking or buying already-picked fruit in 2018. Immediate family members of Williams, also older and retired from other careers, were not interested in taking over the operation, John said. The sale was finalized just last month. Wanting a fall crop this year, though, the Drummonds were given permission to prune trees and do other work on the farm to help the dozen varieties of apples grow while the pending sale worked its way toward closing. The Drummonds also learned all they could about growing fruit, since they had no prior experience at raising crops. They do have some roots in agriculture, with John growing up on a hobby farm with goats and a few other farm animals and Robyn having relatives involved in working the land. The couple were looking to break into farming themselves in some fashion when Robyn discovered the orchard for sale online. They quickly fell in love with the countryside and history of the orchard. “It just felt like we were in the right place at the right time and it was just such an important part of the community that we really wanted to preserve,” she said. John said the petting zoo will feature a Texas longhorn, miniature donkeys, and goats. He said food trucks from Chicago will also be there on at least one of the weekends during the upcoming season, which lasts until about Halloween. Future plans include offering the grounds to rent for weddings and other special events year-round and planting new trees that add to the variety of apples produced. John still works in the commercial insurance business in Chicago. Robyn left her career in development and fundraising for the University of Chicago and Purdue University to focus strictly on the orchard and their two children, ages 3 years, and 4 months. “Neither one of us has actually ever owned an orchard before, so it’s been a big learning experience for us. It’s certainly been a lot of fun,” John said. You can find more online about the orchard at https://williamsorchard.com |
