Building on the tradition of
Iowa family farms
Our Excellent Adventure
While camping at a state park in California in 2014, the same year we planted our first cider apple trees, we took this selfie on a park bench engraved with the words “Here we go on another excellent adventure.” The establishment of our orchards and the changes we have made to the Naylor farm have truly been an adventure! We had a dream of growing apples and making high-quality hard cider. We decided we wanted the orchard to be certified organic and that decision led to the row crops of the farm being transitioned to organic as well. Our adventure has included lots of learning and trying new ways of doing things on our farm. We have added pollinator habitat and a prairie plot populated with native prairie grasses and wildflowers. The diversity of plant and animal life has increased dramatically. We especially love the monarchs that roost in our trees and feed on the red clover as they migrate south in late summer.
We have experimented with various blends of apple juice to create exciting hard ciders and delicious fresh cider. Many of our apples have gone into pies, apple jelly, and apple cake made from George’s mother’s recipe.
Our dream now is to share this orchard and its apples with you!
Our Orchard and Farm
The Naylor Farm, established in 1919
When George came back to the family farm, which his grandfather bought in 1919, he had the dream of being an organic farmer. The time wasn’t right, though. Committing to never planting genetically engineered seeds (GMOs), George grew corn and soybeans until beginning the transition to organic in 2014. With the addition of oats and hay in our field crop rotation, pollinator habitat, reconstructed prairie, and 5 acres of orchards, the essence of the farm has changed in many positive ways.
Our Stories
Patti:
I grew up on a farm in a neighboring county. My grandmother loved to take a drive and point out all the places where our relatives lived. It seemed as though I must be related to nearly everyone in that county. As I grew up, I felt connected to my community, my extended family, and to the land. After graduating from Iowa State University, I left the state to pursue new adventures. Over thirty years later, I returned to Iowa during a life transition. Little did I know that a new adventure would be waiting for me on the Naylor farm with the man who is now my husband.
My greatest joy is being outside, no matter the weather, and this orchard has made my work outside tremendously rewarding. Not only have I seen the orchards become established and begin to bear fruit, but I have also experienced the sights and sounds of the plants, insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals that also call this place on Earth home.
George:
My grandparents bought this farm and built the house we live in in 1919, just before the depression hit the farming community. After graduating from college and trying my hand a teaching school, I came back to the farm in 1976, just in time for another farm depression.