This is me in the early 60's
peddling apples for 75 cents!
The house that stands on the property today was built in the late 1800’s, with the first apple trees being planted in the 1930’s. Some of the varieties they planted such as, Snow and Pippen are no longer available; but the orchard still grows some of the original varieties planted, such as Northern Spy, Stayman Winesap, Transparent and Wealthy apples. Currently, 40+ varieties of apples are growing in the orchard. We have some of the original trees still bearing fruit.
My family purchased the orchard in 1958, and they harvested their first crop the year I was born, 1959.
My grandparents Jerry and Margaret Bennett were from the city and were excellent business people. They owned several properties in the Toledo, Ohio area. These properties including a grocery store where they both worked daily.
Although excited with their new purchase, they had to get acquainted with farm work and even more intense, orchard work.
They started early, well before the sun came up and didn’t rest until all the bookkeeping of both businesses was complete, well into the night. Everyday Jerry brought Margaret to the orchard (they lived in Toledo, Oh). She never drove a car or had a driver’s license.
Every morning, bright and early, she started her day of sorting and selling to her regular customers. She also packed and sold some for other local grocers. They chose not to live in the house on the property, with no indoor plumbing and bees living in the walls, and no time to fix up, they stayed in their house in the city.
Everyday, at 3:00 o’clock, grandpa came back out and picked grandma up for her shift in the produce department in the grocery store. They both would return upon the close of the grocery store to tidy up the stand.
They lived this double life for almost 30 years. Nearly 30 years, of traveling the same road with the same schedule and operating both businesses.
Although they were hard working, ambitious folks, they did not accomplish these feats alone. They had three sons, Two involved in the grocery business and one with the orchard.
Jim was the oldest of the three sons and he helped with the orchard.
Jim, my father, was 22 years old, he and his wife Jackie, had their first daughter, Jane. With number 2 on the way, they decided to move into that old house with no plumbing. He worked by day in construction and by night at the orchard. Additions were made to old farmhouse, updates and amenities were added. Soon Janis, John and Jill joined the clan and more rooms were added. He spent many long days and nights, picking, trimming, sorting and selling apples, he loved it, but it did not pay the bills of his ever growing family. Now Jimmy, Jerry and Jenni finished off the large family.
With Jim tending to his own construction company, the 1970’s left Jerry and Margaret relying on the grandchildren for help for the next several years. Jane and Janis worked in the stand, sorting and packaging apples, sometimes picking peaches and cherries. John would help our hired man, Adolph, unload wagon loads of apples from the field and put them in the cooler. Jill was young at the time, and it seems like she had to pick up the apples that fell on the ground, Jimmy Jerry and Jenni liked to help customers carry apples to their cars.
By the 80’s, my grandparents were growing older and unable to take care of the orchard. On December 15th 1987, Jerry died of lung cancer, leaving Margaret with an aging orchard, and a lot of work. At 73, she still made the trip to the orchard everyday and kept it going with a lot help from family for many years. By this time, my brothers and sisters and I, had small families of our own.
My parents still live in the farmhouse, my husband, Howard Miller and I bought the farm house next door. The orchard business changed hands in 1996, from my grandma to Howard and I.
July, 2001, grandma came out to the orchard to work one last day, a hot steamy July day, she insisted she come out to work at 88.
The next morning she called for a ride, but it wasn't to the orchard it was to see Jerry.
Currently the Orchard is being run by myself and my the hubby, with help from our sons. I have 4 sons, Chris, Curt, Corey and Daniel and Howard has one son, Hans. Hans still lives and works with us and helps keep up the daily operations. The others are grown, done with the college years and working off the farm, but I know I can always get them back for big projects or busy days in the fall.
With the birth of our first granddaughter, Macy in December 2010, we became a 5th generation orchard family! Since 2010, Clay, Ava, Zack, Cam, Bryn, Ella, Marlie, Mack, Addy, Henry, Millie, Gus & Wesley soon followed, as the youngest little apple pickers!!
"the 5th" will hopefully be included in the day to day work and fun soon!
Today we grow apples, pears and peaches, pumpkins, squash, gourds, indian corn and mums. Sweet corn & summer vegetables take up our slower season. We also sell Christmas trees. Our season has grown longer, now open from July through December. We made room in our country store for fresh cider, Amish noodles, jams and jellies and fresh donuts on the weekends.
We make the area’s best fresh apples cider with an 1870’s antique cider press, reconstructed on site by Howard, our boys and some very good friends and family. The addition of hard cider, we press and ferment at the orchard has brought much new interest!
We maintain about 20 acres of apples and 10 acres of peaches, supporting just over 2,500 trees. We continue to plant new trees for the future, so the next generations can continue the family tradition
Janis Miller.
Please come visit us,
we’ll be here,
My family purchased the orchard in 1958, and they harvested their first crop the year I was born, 1959.
My grandparents Jerry and Margaret Bennett were from the city and were excellent business people. They owned several properties in the Toledo, Ohio area. These properties including a grocery store where they both worked daily.
Although excited with their new purchase, they had to get acquainted with farm work and even more intense, orchard work.
They started early, well before the sun came up and didn’t rest until all the bookkeeping of both businesses was complete, well into the night. Everyday Jerry brought Margaret to the orchard (they lived in Toledo, Oh). She never drove a car or had a driver’s license.
Every morning, bright and early, she started her day of sorting and selling to her regular customers. She also packed and sold some for other local grocers. They chose not to live in the house on the property, with no indoor plumbing and bees living in the walls, and no time to fix up, they stayed in their house in the city.
Everyday, at 3:00 o’clock, grandpa came back out and picked grandma up for her shift in the produce department in the grocery store. They both would return upon the close of the grocery store to tidy up the stand.
They lived this double life for almost 30 years. Nearly 30 years, of traveling the same road with the same schedule and operating both businesses.
Although they were hard working, ambitious folks, they did not accomplish these feats alone. They had three sons, Two involved in the grocery business and one with the orchard.
Jim was the oldest of the three sons and he helped with the orchard.
Jim, my father, was 22 years old, he and his wife Jackie, had their first daughter, Jane. With number 2 on the way, they decided to move into that old house with no plumbing. He worked by day in construction and by night at the orchard. Additions were made to old farmhouse, updates and amenities were added. Soon Janis, John and Jill joined the clan and more rooms were added. He spent many long days and nights, picking, trimming, sorting and selling apples, he loved it, but it did not pay the bills of his ever growing family. Now Jimmy, Jerry and Jenni finished off the large family.
With Jim tending to his own construction company, the 1970’s left Jerry and Margaret relying on the grandchildren for help for the next several years. Jane and Janis worked in the stand, sorting and packaging apples, sometimes picking peaches and cherries. John would help our hired man, Adolph, unload wagon loads of apples from the field and put them in the cooler. Jill was young at the time, and it seems like she had to pick up the apples that fell on the ground, Jimmy Jerry and Jenni liked to help customers carry apples to their cars.
By the 80’s, my grandparents were growing older and unable to take care of the orchard. On December 15th 1987, Jerry died of lung cancer, leaving Margaret with an aging orchard, and a lot of work. At 73, she still made the trip to the orchard everyday and kept it going with a lot help from family for many years. By this time, my brothers and sisters and I, had small families of our own.
My parents still live in the farmhouse, my husband, Howard Miller and I bought the farm house next door. The orchard business changed hands in 1996, from my grandma to Howard and I.
July, 2001, grandma came out to the orchard to work one last day, a hot steamy July day, she insisted she come out to work at 88.
The next morning she called for a ride, but it wasn't to the orchard it was to see Jerry.
Currently the Orchard is being run by myself and my the hubby, with help from our sons. I have 4 sons, Chris, Curt, Corey and Daniel and Howard has one son, Hans. Hans still lives and works with us and helps keep up the daily operations. The others are grown, done with the college years and working off the farm, but I know I can always get them back for big projects or busy days in the fall.
With the birth of our first granddaughter, Macy in December 2010, we became a 5th generation orchard family! Since 2010, Clay, Ava, Zack, Cam, Bryn, Ella, Marlie, Mack, Addy, Henry, Millie, Gus & Wesley soon followed, as the youngest little apple pickers!!
"the 5th" will hopefully be included in the day to day work and fun soon!
Today we grow apples, pears and peaches, pumpkins, squash, gourds, indian corn and mums. Sweet corn & summer vegetables take up our slower season. We also sell Christmas trees. Our season has grown longer, now open from July through December. We made room in our country store for fresh cider, Amish noodles, jams and jellies and fresh donuts on the weekends.
We make the area’s best fresh apples cider with an 1870’s antique cider press, reconstructed on site by Howard, our boys and some very good friends and family. The addition of hard cider, we press and ferment at the orchard has brought much new interest!
We maintain about 20 acres of apples and 10 acres of peaches, supporting just over 2,500 trees. We continue to plant new trees for the future, so the next generations can continue the family tradition
Janis Miller.
Please come visit us,
we’ll be here,
Bennett's Orchard(formerly Fletchers Orchard)in the 1950's