Firm roots in the past, with an eye on the future
A corn-fusing experience that’s a-maze-ing
October 28, 2024
CHIPPEWA FALLS – For Melissa Geissler, bringing the orchard her grandparents created decades ago back into the family means everything to her.
“I have a hard time putting into words what it means to me to be able to continue the orchard,” she said. “I am proud of my grandparents for what they started and the work they had to put in.”
So, after teaching third grade for nearly 17 years, Geissler said she decided to pivot careers and purchase the orchard her grandparents planted more than four decades ago – thus the start of Family Roots Orchard.
A full-circle journey
Geissler said the orchard – located at 18027 County Highway OO in Chippewa Falls – got its original start in 1980 when her grandfather, Ron White, purchased acreage from a local dairy farmer and planted apple trees.
“He planted this orchard (which is 20 acres) and another on 80 acres that he had around the corner,” she said. “It was called White’s Family Orchard.”
In 2000, when her grandfather got sick, Geissler said he sold the 80 acres around the corner but kept the 20-acre orchard on County Highway OO.
“And then when he passed away, this 20 acres was farmed by my uncle, Dennis White,” she said.
When Dennis passed away in 2008, Geissler said his daughter, who was 21 years old at the time, sold the orchard to the Niblett family – changing the name to the Niblett’s Apple Shed.
A handful of years ago, Geissler said the Niblett family was looking to sell the orchard and asked if she’d be interested in purchasing the property.
“At that point, we told them that we wanted to purchase it and wanted to get the land back in the family – but it wasn’t going to work out at that time,” she said. “But we told them if they were ever interested in selling in the future, to reach back out.”
When the Niblett family was unable to find a buyer, Geissler said they decided to continue running the orchard for a few more years.
This past April, Geissler said, the ask came again.
“We had a big decision to make,” she said. “I had been teaching third grade at the local elementary school for 17 years and I loved it. My husband has a very busy job in Eau Claire. We have two girls who are very active in sports and other activities. We didn’t have a lot of free time. So, it was definitely a big decision.”
Geissler said a lot of factors went into making the decision to walk away from her career in teaching and become a full-time orchardist.
“I was ready for a change in education,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could stay there until retirement, so when the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like a good time.”
Geissler said she also didn’t want to see the orchard – where her grandparents had worked so hard – become a development.
“I wanted it to stay an orchard,” she said. “My husband pretty much said he would support me if that’s what I wanted to do. So, that’s what we did. I feel fortunate the Nibletts reached out to us so that we could continue with the business.”
Geissler said she resigned from her teaching job at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
Though a hard decision, she said she knew it would require her full attention to run the orchard.
“Because I taught third grade, there wasn’t really an opportunity for me to do an a.m. teaching job and then work the orchard in the afternoon,” she said. “I originally thought I could juggle both, but after talking with the Niblett family about the hours they put in – I realized I couldn’t possibly make it work unless I had a bunch of employees.”
A bushel and a peck
Geissler said much more goes into being an orchardist than just picking and selling apples.
“When we first bought the orchard, my time was spent pruning – getting as much as we could before the tree started to bud out,” she said. “That means taking off the top branches and anything called suckers, which are branches that kind of shoot straight up and take the sunshine away from the ones that are producing apples.”
Having purchased the orchard in the spring, Geissler said though she wasn’t able to finish all the pruning, “we got a good start.”
“After that, it’s about taking an assessment of what bugs and other things that the apples are struggling with, and then doing different things (sprays, pruning, etc.) to help the apple tree stay healthy,” she said.
This year, Geissler said they did have a bit of trouble with fire blight – “some people see it on tomatoes, where it looks like they’re burned by fire.”
“It will spread and kill the plant,” she said. “So we spent a good amount of time walking the orchard and removing it,” she said.
Once the trees start flowering and producing fruit, Geissler said her duties shift to picking and sorting.
“There’s a sorting table that cleans them, and you choose which ones are looking really awesome to sell – which are the No. 1 apples,” she said. “Then the seconds, or No. 2 apples, are the ones that have some blemishes, and those are sold as baking apples or are used for cider.”
When she took the reins of the orchard, Geissler said, “I should have put a sign up when I first opened the orchard that explains what No. 2 apples are.”
“My family assumed that everyone knew,” she said. “I even asked them, ‘does everyone know?’ They said, ‘yeah, everyone knows.’ That’s not true.”
Because No. 2 apples have some blemishes or imperfections, Geissler said Family Roots sells them for a cheaper cost.
“People usually buy No. 2s in bulk because they’re using them for baking, applesauce or things like that,” she said.
Geissler said Family Roots Orchard outsources its cider production to a local Mennonite family.
“We truck it there once a week, they press it and then we pick it up,” she said. “Flavor-wise, it’s best to use a variety of apple types to make cider.”
Groves of gratitude
In the last six months, Geissler said she’s learned a lot about the history of White’s Family Orchard, about running an orchard and about herself.
“My grandma and my dad have told me so many stories and helped me with a lot of facts about the history of the orchard and that area in general,” she said. “Things I’m surprised I hadn’t heard sooner, to be honest, but I think you know when you’re working side by side, it brings up memories, and then things are shared that maybe hadn’t been shared before.”
One such memory, Geissler said, was her grandma’s suggestion of naming the orchard The Drive-By Orchard.
“My grandma said when they first set up the orchard, there wasn’t anybody coming, so she told my grandpa that they should call it The Drive-By Orchard because everyone drove by,” she said. “I had never heard that story before.”
Though apples were always a part of her life, Geissler said since becoming an orchardist herself, she has learned a lot about the versatile fruit.
“I’ve learned a lot about how to tell apples apart,” she said. “My dad can do it by taste – I’m not quite there yet. I have to refine my palate.”
In the last several months, Geissler said she has been able to discern when an apple is ready for picking.
“I’ve learned a lot about that this year,” she said.
Geissler said a topic not directly related to the apples or apple trees themselves, but a very important part of the overall process, is weeds.
“I didn’t totally realize how large the weeds would grow if I didn’t take care of them right away,” she laughed. “I’m going to work more on that next year.”
Geissler said the support she has received from family, friends, the community and former students – though not unusual – was a surprising aspect of the transition.
“I’ve been very happily surprised at how many families have come out – some past students, some just people who are happy the orchard is still an orchard – which is really cool,” she said. “I am grateful for all of the support I have received from family, friends and the community.”
Though everyone warned her that taking over the orchard – “especially because I am trying to do it on my own” – was going to be a lot of work, Geissler said she went into this venture fully expecting that.
“I’m okay with that,” she said. “There is a lot less stress than with teaching, which has been a huge benefit of switching. I miss my students, and I miss my staff – I stop in and see them from time to time – but, I don’t miss the stress.”
Geissler said her dad has said he was going to retire for years – “he’s been putting it off for seven years.”
She said when she purchased the orchard, he finally did.
“He was super excited to work the orchard with me,” she said. “It’s been rewarding being able to work with him.”
Geissler said the gratitude she has received from older generation farmers in the area – “some who have been here as long as my grandpa, if not longer” – has meant a lot to her.
“Some of them have stopped by and told me that they’re very pleased that we bought the orchard and that we’re keeping it an orchard,” she said.
An ode to the past
The orchard’s original name of White’s Family Orchard, Geissler said, was obviously inspired by her grandparent’s (and her maiden) name.
“When we decided to purchase the orchard – which at the time was called Niblett’s Apple Shed – my dad said, ‘you could name it White’s Family Orchard again,’” she said. “I thought it was a cool idea, however, not everyone remembers that orchard, and that’s not my last name anymore.”
The Family Roots Orchard name, Geissler said, is an ode to the past, present and future.
“I want to tie together my family history and my new family,” she said. “So we – my daughters, my husband and myself – came up with a big list of names. Of course, my grandma, dad, sister and brother had some suggestions as well. We then started a chat thread where everyone could vote for their favorites using emojis.”
Geissler said the apple tree itself also served as inspiration.
“If you think of a tree – the roots hold everything together and help the tree remain healthy and strong,” she said. “It’s also like that with family – not just with the foundation of the past, but all of the support I am currently receiving from them.”
Seeding for the future
In addition to getting the apples ready for Family Roots Orchard’s first season, Geissler said the property’s playsets and mini golf are up and running.
“I put in a tractor tire playground – I love the idea of exploratory play,” she said. “My third graders helped me plant a pumpkin patch last school year, and I planted a sunflower spiral.”
As she starts wrapping up the season, Geissler said she is already planning projects for next year – which includes a corn bin.
“It is kind of like a sandbox, but it’s corn – I did not get to that this year,” she said. “I have more ideas as well, but I didn’t get to everything this year. By the time I got done with some of the other things I was trying to do, the apples were already starting to grow and were ready for picking – so that’s where my focus went.”
Geissler said her oldest daughter’s interest in horses has her envisioning opportunities for the future of the property as well.
“She has shared with us that she wants to be a vet/horse trainer and wants to have land where she can have a facility and a pasture,” she said. “This property could be an orchard and that. It has the potential to be what works for our family now and what works for her in the future. We want to carry on that legacy of working the land and having it be available to the public to enjoy.”
