Hillcrest Orchard , located less than a mile from downtown Walnut Creek, has been family-owned and operated since 1968. Merle and Lela
Hershberger take care of 75 acres of orchard, which produce 22 varieties of apples and 12 varieties of peaches; add to that, a plan to plant 3,400 dwarf trees for customers to pick their own beginning in 2015. Because of the harsh Ohio winter, the peach crop was wiped out and Merle will be bringing in a wonderful peach from Virginia. Hillcrest is thrilled to welcome customers to their beautiful store, open August through March. Packed with not just apples, but cheeses, local produce, nuts, and snacks. Hillcrest Orchard has 400 square feet of retail space, an observation deck overlooking the gorgeous Mud Valley and beyond. The Cider house has large windows, perfect for watching them make cider every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from September through March. In fact, the cider pressed at Hillcrest is one of the sweetest reasons to visit. The apples are thoroughly washed and sanitized before being pressed, bottled, and cooled. Because their cider has no added ingredients and is never pasteurized, its flavor is like no other and can be used to make vinegar or wine. By law, unpasteurized cider can only be sold on-site, so people travel from as far as 100 miles away to purchase Hillcrest’s delicious drink, sometimes buying it in bulk to freeze for later use. During their busiest days, Hillcrest can easily sell 1,800 gallons of sweet cider in two days, or 35,000 gallons per year.

For those simply looking for a good apple, Hillcrest Orchard has plenty to choose from. During their most productive times of the year, you’ll find as many as 300 bushels in their grading room, from Melrose to Fuji, Mutsu to the popular Grimes Golden, a hard-to-find choice for sauces and pies. “But the all time favorite,” Merle Hershberger says, “is still Golden Delicious”, selling twice as many as any other variety.

With proper storage, in a ventilated plastic bag in the refrigerator, the best-keeping apples purchased now will last until June. As Autumn rolls around, the store offers a variety of pumpkins, squash, mums, nuts, coating chocolate: milk, dark, and white. Whiskey barrels for decoration, outdoor weddings, wine and vinegar making, or rain barrels. During the winter months, cases of citrus fill the floor and the Hershbergers begin creating beautiful custom made fruit baskets.

Merle and Lela Hershberger have seven children: Jon Adam, Mark, Lauri, Katie, Matthew, Grace, and Josh work hard with every aspect of the orchard, from tree care to customer service. Even their beloved boxer, Angel, is on hand to greet folks with a wag of her tail. Just like Merle did as a young boy, six-year old Josh entertains customers and watches over the apple butter stirring along with his Dad, uncle Duane, and grandfather Jacob, who start the kettle of cider early in the morning, adding their homemade applesauce around noon. The process continues 15-20 times producing 72 quarts each time, which lasts for a year.

Merle says he is blessed that his family is part of the business. “It’s our goal to have a good quality apple,” he says, “but I also like the idea that it’s run by the family at home. We’re raising a product people want, and we meet a lot of great customers.” Hillcrest Orchard is located at 2474 Township Road 444 in Walnut Creek, OH. For more information call, (330) 893-9906

Written by www.ohacg.com