<--Previous Up Next-->
First stop Monday morning (June 21) was the Teach family’s Sunrise Orchard in Gays Mills, WI. Allen Teach welcomed IDFTA while we stood in several blocks of Honeycrisp planted on B.9 at 13 x 3 spacing. He told us IDFTA had visited his orchard in 1972 on a summer tour stop! Many changes had taken place at his orchard since 1972. Allen discussed the trials and tribulations of growing Honecyrisp in their well-kept orchard. Their orchards are located on the ridge area 550-1,100 feet above the Mississippi. This elevation is their only frost protection. Shortly after meeting in the orchard, rain forced the group inside for apple muffins, fresh cheese curds, and more Honeycrisp discussion. Teach carries crop insurance on all their apple acreage, a necessity in this hail prone area.