Growing without losing the farm

As the business expands, the challenge is finding ways to remain relevant without losing the qualities that made it special.

Kilpatrick said he and his brother regularly discuss how to grow while preserving the property’s relaxed atmosphere and agricultural roots.

That means continuing to adapt how apples are grown, including decisions about rootstock and orchard practices, while finding new ways to introduce the farm to visitors.

The recent addition of a hard cidery is one example. The family was already producing cider and apple wines, making hard cider a natural extension of the existing operation while opening the door to a new audience.

Kilpatrick said the goal is to keep the experience grounded in the farm rather than allowing the business to become overly commercial.

Visitors can still walk along the riverbank, see the orchard, sample cider and enjoy the slower pace of a working farm amid the busy tourism corridor.

It is an approach built around the idea that the farm’s greatest value is not simply what it sells, but the experience of seeing where those products begin.

The family also continues to work with local growers, maintaining relationships that connect the business to the broader agricultural community.

For Kilpatrick, preserving that connection is part of protecting the legacy his parents and their friends began in 1976.

Celebrating 50 years with the community

The family is marking the milestone with its second annual Apple Festival, expanding last year’s event to two weekends to accommodate activities and visitors.

The celebration will feature live bluegrass music, food, apple treats and opportunities to explore the farm.

The first weekend will include a fish fry and fried chicken tenders with traditional sides. The second weekend will feature barbecue pulled-pork sandwiches and accompanying dishes.

Both weekends will offer favorites such as fried apple pies, apple cider doughnuts, fresh apples and caramel apples.

Hay-wagon tours will give families an up-close look at the orchard and the farm’s history. Visitors also will be able to see cider production and participate in demonstrations using a hand-operated press.

One special feature will offer visitors a chance to sample a new hard cider straight from a 6,000-gallon production tank, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the process.

The festival also will celebrate the people who started it all. Kilpatrick’s father, now 91, and his mother plan to be present for the anniversary festivities.

For the family, their presence makes the celebration more than a business milestone. It is a chance to honor the people whose willingness to try something new set everything in motion.

A legacy measured in more than apples

Fifty years after those first trees were planted, Kilpatrick said the responsibility he and his brother share is to protect the character of the place for their children and for the families who return year after year.

His father’s guiding invitation has remained simple: come see, smell and taste the fruits of our labor.

That philosophy is still evident in the orchard, the cider, the restaurant and the riverbank where visitors can slow down and enjoy the surroundings.

What began with four backyard apple trees eventually grew into thousands of trees, a farm market, a restaurant and a cider operation producing 100,000 gallons a year.

But for the next generation, the measure of success is not just how much the business grows.

It is whether the farm still feels like a farm — a place where children can explore, visitors can connect with agriculture and a family’s story can continue to unfold.

After five decades, the hobby may have gotten out of hand. The family’s hope is that the heart of it never changes.