Apple appeal

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Aug 19, 2002 | by Cahalan, Steve

GALESVILLE, Wis. - Twin Cities natives Tom and Deb Ferguson have given up their careers in California for the rolling hills where Allyn and Lois Kaste had operated Kaste's Morningside Orchard since 1952.

The renamed Ferguson's Morningside Orchard opened its retail store for the season Saturday, and its pick-your-own orchard opens to the public Saturday, Aug. 24. The apple operation, north of Hwy. 54 between Galesville and Centerville, Wis., is composed of two orchards.

The original orchard, where the retail store is, eventually may be converted to pick-your-own. "People like to pick their own apples," Tom explained.

In January, the Kastes sold their apple operation and house to the Fergusons. The Kastes have moved to their new home between Galesville and Holmen, Wis., and are helping the Fergusons with the apple business for the next year or two.

The Kastes bought an abandoned orchard in 1952 and had some apples to sell the following year, Allyn said. He believes the orchard started soon after the Civil War.

It was time for the Kastes to retire, he said.

The orchard sells retail, wholesale and pick-your-own apples, along with crafts, jellies, its own apple cider and other food items, such as honey, syrups, apple crisp mix and apple cinnamon pancake mix.

Tom Ferguson, 45, said he and his wife, who is 46, bought about 95 acres of land from the Kastes. He said there are about 80 acres of apple trees, including about 60 acres that will bear apples this year - the rest of the trees are too young.

Tom said a typical fall harvest at the orchard should be between 15,000 to 30,000 bushels. "We'll probably be at the lower end of that this year," he said. Mild temperatures in January and February, followed by cold temperatures in March, resulted in fewer buds than usual on some varieties of apple trees, he said.

"But the apples will be excellent size, Tom said. "Because there are fewer apples on the trees, they will be bigger. The quality is excellent."

Tom said he and his wife are grateful to the Kastes for helping them learn the apple business. "They've been so helpful and good teachers," he said.

Tom was raised in Minneapolis, and Deb grew up in the Minneapolis suburb of Fridley. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and she received a bachelor's degree in business management from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn.

For the past 16 years, Tom worked for 3M and Imation Corp., which was spun off by 3M in 1996.

For the past five years, Tom managed an Imation manufacturing plant in Camarillo, Calif., which makes data storage products such as diskettes, data cartridges and computer tapes. Deb was a senior secretary at an elementary school in Camarillo, a city of 60,000 population in Ventura County, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

"The last few years, we thought about doing something different - and we have so many relatives in the Midwest," Tom said of the family's decision to leave California. Two years ago, he and Deb began looking for a resort or equipment rental business in the Midwest that they could buy and operate.

"We coupled that with our list of places where we knew we'd like to live," Tom said. The Fergusons, who were married in 1978, had been impressed by the La Crosse area during a vacation trip in the early 1980s - In June 2001, the entire family visited La Crosse while daughter Jill was scouting colleges and universities to attend this fall.

Jill ended up choosing the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. But during the family's La Crosse visit, Deb spotted a "for sale" advertisement for the apple orchard in the La Crosse Tribune. "We called the Realtor that night, and we saw it the next day," she said. "Once we pulled into this place, it was so beautiful, we knew this was it," Deb said.

Operating the orchard appealed to her, Deb said, because "I've always loved the outdoors. And I like raising kids in a small-town atmosphere." While Jill, 18, is attending the University of

Minnesota this fall, her 16-year-old brother Andy will be a junior at Holmen High School and their 13-year-old brother Joe will be an eighthgrader at Holmen Middle School.

Tom was interested in the career change because, "I wanted to do something where the consequences of my actions were tied more closely to the results." Besides, he added with a smile, "I've wanted to be a farmer since I was 4 years old." He moved to the area in February, and the rest of the family moved in June.

They brought some new ideas with them.

"We'll have some new activities for the family" at the pick-your-own orchard, Deb said. One is a straw bale pyramid for kids to climb. "Another is wood cutouts where you can have your picture taken," Deb said.

Customers can take a wagon ride into the pick-your-own orchard. At the apple shed there, they also can buy items such as syrups, honey, jellies and craft items.

The entire Ferguson family is involved in running the business. They also expect to have 15 to 20 employees this fall.