Apple Orchards

Shady Nook Farm apple delivery truck owned by John Shawver

Ralph Folsom sorting apples at his Folsom Fruit Farm on Co. Rd. 25

Jack and Jerry Ritter owners of the Grandview Orchard pictured in 1978

Sales Room sign at Brookside Fruit Farm on Co. Rd 25 near Zanesfield

Tim Anderson, owner of Brookside Fruit Farm, gathering a sample of fresh of apple juice

Dick Walborn, owner of Hobby Horse Hill, leveling a rack of apple pulp that he fed to his cattle

Hobby Horse Hill employees, Brenda Strickland and Murial Whitt, preparing a tray of apple pulp

Crates of apples at Dwight and Bonnie Hansen's orchard on Co. Rd 47

Copper kettles used to make apple butter on exhibit at the History Center

Grandview Orchard apple cider jug. From the History Center collection

Apple parer on exhibit in the Orr Mansion kitchen

Yocum's Grandview Orchard ad from 1977

Slenker Orchard ad from 1999

Apple picking season in Ohio usually begins late summer and runs through the end of October. Ohio produces around 50 different varieties, including Cameo, Cortland, Crispin, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Law Rome, Lodi, MacIntosh, Red Delicious, and Winesap.

Logan County has a long history of apple orchards and cider making. Apples can be used in a variety of recipes including pies, tarts, dumplings, and salads. They can also be made into applesauce, cider and a variety of other dishes and desserts. Large copper pots were often used to cook apples into apple butter. Many farms had apple orchards for personal use.

Here’s a brief look back at some of the former Logan County apple orchards that had retails outlets.

One of the earliest apple orchards in Logan County was John Shawver’s Shady Nook Farm in Harrison Township. In the early 1900s, Shawver sold apples and was a frequent speaker at the Farmer’s Institute on the care and management of apple orchards. Other apple orchards in Logan County have included Grandview, Slenker’s, Brookside, Folsom’s, and many other smaller orchards.

Grandview Orchard was established in 1920 by Frank Lane on Township Rd. 199. He ran the 130-acre farm for 40 years. In 1970, he sold the farm to Ben and Betty Yocom. They installed a new cider press and show room shortly after they purchased the farm. They had approximately 30 varieties of apples, 7 varieties of peaches and several varieties of pears. They also had 20 acres of sweet corn, tomatoes, mangoes, and melons. They sold Amish cheese, trail bologna, imported candies, honey, and their own homemade apple butter.

In August 1978, Yocom’s Grandview Orchard was purchased by Jack and Jerry Ritter. They had a thriving cider business and sold 25 varieties of apples. Today it is owned by Janet and Rob Fulton and known as the Red Apple Barn, LLC. The historic Grandview Orchard barn now sells antiques and is a unique event center.

Charles Henry started Brookside Fruit Farm on County Rd. 25 north of Zanesfield in the 1940s. Russell and Clarissa Anderson purchased the fruit farm in 1963. Mr. Anderson started working in apple orchards in his teens at the Rockwell Orchard in Mt Vernon, eventually becoming a manager. He also managed three other orchards before purchasing Brookside Fruit Farm. The Anderson’s son, Tim, worked alongside his parents on the 40-acre farm with an estimated 1,875 apple trees. Each year they made between 1,565 to 2,500 gallons of apple cider.

Folsom’s Fruit Farm was located Just down the road from the Brookside Fruit Farm on County Rd. 25. In 1950, Ralph and Mary Folsom started their fruit farm on land that had been in the Folsom family for over 120 years. Their facilities accommodated up to 7,000 bushels of apples, 4,000 of which could be stored by refrigeration at 34 degrees. Along with making cider, the Folsom’s also grew grapes, cabbage, sweet corn, and tomatoes. The Folsom’s ran their fruit farm for over 50 years.

Herb Slenker owned and operated an apple orchard on St. Rt. 533 near Zanesfield for many years. His orchard featured 1,800 semi-dwarf apple trees. Slenker’s offered pick-your-own varieties of Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Idared, McIntosh, Jonathan and Cortland apples. Dr. Jason Robson purchased the orchard in 1997.

Richard and Jean Walborn operated a cider mill at their Hobby Horse Hill farm on Township Road 165 near West Liberty. In 1980, Walborn reported the cider mill they used was 111 years old. They purchased the cider mill from the Herring Farm on Maplewood-Tawara Road in Sidney, Ohio. When Walborn purchased the tractor-powered cider mill, it was so large it had to be dismantled into four sections before it could be transported by a large truck to his farm.

Walborn’s cider mill held 25 bushels of apples at a time with each bushel yielding approximately 3 ½ gallons of cider. The apples were loaded and rolled onto a conveyer belt which carried them nearly ten feet into the air before they were ground into a fine pulp. The pulp then fell into a square tray at the bottom of the mill. Workers then evenly distributed the pulp throughout the tray before rotating it beneath the actual cider press. Once the lever was thrown, the apple juice was squeezed out and ready to be bottled and enjoyed as cider.

These are a few of the fruit farms Logan County has enjoyed over the years. Thankfully, we still have several farmers markets in Logan County where we can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and apple cider.