MERRILL, Wis. (WAOW) — Helene’s Hilltop Orchard, like all other farm businesses, is beholden to what mother nature gives them.
“I learned a long time ago not let Mother Nature get me emotionally upset,” owner Olivia Telschow said.
Their apple picking season will be limited this year, and say there’s no single reason.
“If you think back to March, you might have seen motorcycles on the road, you might have seen the kids out with shorts; it was pretty nice weather. That really affected the trees because the trees at that time, they were just hanging out,” Telschow added.
That warm weather mixed with subsequent cooler weather, hail, and nearby tornadoes, creates a perfect storm for a slightly smaller yield.
“We’ve really been blessed that we have any type of crop at all,” Telschow said.
“There’s different times that things are ready this year for sure. There may only be a week or two of Honeycrisp picking compared to other years when there were more weeks available to pick,” employee Kate Baubach said.
They say Honeycrisps will be available for picking this weekend, and Cortland apple season starting the following week.
Despite the smaller output for people to pick, they’re making the most of it through other avenues.
“A light crop of apples doesn’t mean that we are light on other activities here,” Telschow said.
“I see people come multiple times in one season because apples are ripening at different rates or they’re coming for pumpkins, or we have different bakery items available so it’s really fun to see people come back and enjoy the orchard with us,” Baubach said.
Helene’s say their pumpkin patch was not as impacted by the weather; that will open up next Saturday.
