We Are Indiana Agriculture: Pleasant View Orchard

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

Conveniently located 1 mile north of Interstate 74 in Northwest Shelby County, Pleasant View Orchard is home to 31 acres of apple trees, as well as a 2-acre pumpkin patch.  As Adria Kemper explains, “The orchard was started in the 1930’s by the Reude family.  It was then purchased by the Anderson family in the early 1990’s, then sold to the Hopkins family in the mid-1990’s, who were friends of the Anderson family.  The orchard remained Anderson Orchard until we purchased it in 2013.  We renamed it Pleasant View Orchard.  We grow over 20 varieties of apples that are harvested from July through October.  We offer U-Pick apples and pumpkins.”

Pleasant View Orchard, owned by brothers Jeff and Duane Kemper and their families, also has a country store that allows people to purchase bagged apples, fresh vegetables, fruit, preserves, apple butter, specialty sauces, and much more.  Tractor rides are part of the fun as families make their way out to the 2-acre pumpkin patch which usually begins the last weekend in September.  There’s also a playground for the kids to enjoy.  As their website says, “There’s something for the whole family.”  Pleasant View Orchard also has a concession stand filled with homemade apple cobbler, elephant ears, fried biscuits with apple butter, corn dogs, hot dogs, nachos, BBQ sandwiches, caramel apples and apple cider slushes.

The orchard is currently open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Free events this season at the orchard include:

September 26^th-Live Hammered Dulcimer music from 3-6 p.m.

October 3^rd- Live music from Steve Jeffris from 3-6p.m.

October 10^th-Live music from Birch Creek Bluegrass Band from 3-6 p.m.

October 25^th- Trunk or Treat at 2p.m./ Silly Safaris show at 3 p.m.

For more information, visit their website: www.pleasantvieworchardin.com

Table Talk: Falling for Fall

By Sarah Correll

It’s a wonderful time of year. The leaves are changing, farmers are harvesting corn and soybeans, the air is crisp, and it’s the perfect time for some fun on the farm for you and your family. Check out some of our blogger friends’ autumn adventures!

From picking apples to visiting a pumpkin patch, Krista from Everyday Mom’s Meals and her family have been busy!

Do you have toddlers? Amy from A Latte’ with Ott, A shares how to make the most of the season with them here!

 

 

Katie at Katie Unscripted is spending some time in the kitchen this fall. Check out her apple pie recipe!

This post from Jacqueline at WritRams is full of fun fall ideas! From festivals to outdoor scavenger hunts, she gives us plenty of ways to enjoy the weather!

 

BasilMomma’s Heather and her family visited Kelsay Farms- and it looks like everyone had a great time!

Tell us- what do you and your family do to enjoy the season?

A-maize-ing Family Fun

By Sarah Correll

 

There's more than corn in Indiana, but our corn mazes are tough to beat.

 

 

Amazing designs, different lengths, haunted and traditional versions, and convenient locations all around the state are just some of the great reasons to visit a corn maze. As an added bonus, many of them are a part of a larger operation- an orchard, petting zoo, or pumpkin patch is possibly nearby!

 

 

Find out more about how they’re made here, and tell us about your favorite corn maze below!

 

 



Fall Family Fun

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

If you are looking for a fun fall activity for your family, Kelsay Farms is one example of the many farms that open their doors to the public throughout the year. The Kelsays are a sixth generation dairy farm that milks around 500 cows and they open their farm to the public on the weekends throughout October.  They also farm approximately 2,200 acres. 

Kelsay Farms was land-granted by President Van Buren in 1837 making this year their 175^th anniversary!  Amy Kelsay states, "We are blessed to have four generations on the farm today-from Great Grandma all the way down to our children.  It's amazing when you think about it that we are still farming the same ground that has been in our family for all of those years!"

When asked why they decided to open their farm to the public Amy explained, "I have always loved working with children and in Ag/Youth Education so in 2007 I decided to combine the two and open our farm up for school field trips and to the public.  We live in a highly populated county and it's been a pleasure to give thousands of children the opportunity to see first-hand where their milk and other dairy foods come from."

The Kelsays have taken things around the farm that they loved to do as kids such as: play in the corn, climb on straw bales, roast a hotdog on a campfire-and they have recreated them for our customers to enjoy.  According to Amy, "Most kids today don't get the opportunity to walk through a corn field or take a hayride, so we really enjoy not only providing that experience, but also watching them as they may experience it for the first time."

So if you and your family would like to experience dairy farm tours, baby calves, a 7 acre corn maze with a scavenger hunt, hayrides, Moo Choo train rides, Bale Mountain, Corn Crib, Baby Barnyard play area and many other games and fall activities then visit Kelsay Farms at 6848 N. 250 E. Whiteland, IN 46184.  You can also visit their website:www.kelsayfarms.com or www.twomaidsamilking.com or follow them on Facebook at Kelsay Farm Tours or Twitter at @Kelsay Farms.

If you are interesting in finding more great Indiana Farms to visit this fall, check out the Indiana State Department of Agriculture's Agritourism Guide and My Indiana Home's Pumpkin Patch Locator and Corn Maze Locator.

It's Apple Pickin' Time!

By Jen from Mess Hall to Bistro and Real Farmwives of America and Friends

With four kids ages 7 to 15, it’s nearly impossible to find something they all enjoy and doesn’t break the bank.

One of our family’s favorite things to do in the fall is head out to the local orchard and go apple picking. It’s one of the times we get to see the rare sighting of a 15 year old smile.

We don’t just limit our apple picking weekends to the six of us; we usually bring along some friends and, of course, grandpa.

The kids (and the big kids!) love riding in the back of his truck through the orchard as we fill bags with different kinds of apples.

 And what’s a trip to the orchard without some apple sampling!

After lots of hard work out in the orchard, we step into the store to check out the other fresh produce and get an apple cider slushie!

After a morning of picking, we head home and can our bounty. The kids love to help me out in the kitchen making apple butter, sauce, pie filling and caramel apple jam! If it was up to the kids, we would pick bushels of apples every weekend; I just wish we had a place to store them all!

Visit my blog at http://messhalltobistro.blogspot.com

Finding Fresh Options for Your Family

Note: Scroll to the bottom to see the winner of the $40 Gift Certificate!

Agritourism as defined by Webster is the practice of touring agricultural areas to see farms and often to participate in farm activities. Hoosiers are privileged to have a plethora of agritourism sites varying from lettuce in the spring to Christmas trees in December and wineries year-round. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture has compiled all of these locations into one handy directory so you can find fresh, local food and products with a simple click of the mouse!

While fresh berries, tomatoes and peaches may not be readily available right now, check out some of these locations which offer wholesome, homemade products throughout the year:

The Apple Works in Trafalgar is open through Christmas Eve and offers pies, jellies, and butters as well as Christmas trees.

Binford Farmer’s Market  has a special Christmas market on December 4th and 11th.

Dull’s Tree Farm is open Thanksgiving to Christmas in Thorntown.
The Boone County operation was the pick-up site for the annual Trees for Troops campaign between the Indiana Tree Growers Association and FedEx. Our state’s producers donated more than 200 trees to be delivered to military bases stateside and overseas. This year, the State FFA officers participated in this event. Check out their blog where they share some of their experiences!

Felke Florist & Greenhouse is a fifth generation florist offering poinsettias and wreaths in Marshall County.

Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards in Starlight offers wine, cheese, ice cream, and unique gifts year-round. Christmas trees are currently available as well.

While this is just a short list, there are many other sites across the state. So bundle up and get everyone in the car for a trip to a local producer. Indiana products make great gifts, especially for those hard-to-buy-for relatives!

And the winner of the $40 Gift Certificate from the Indiana Christmas Tree Growers is....

Congrats to the Haffner Family! Enjoy a fresh wreath from our family to yours!

Please email us at indianafarmers@gmail.com and let us know where to mail your gift certificate.

Check out our blog on Monday for another great giveaway announcement!