Well, it’s officially fall. The nights are cooling down and the leaves are starting to change ever so slightly. This means it’s time once again to go apple picking! Over the years we have worked closely with Aamodt’s Apple Farm in Stillwater. Recently, we catered an event there and this month we featured an amazing apple dessert over at the Restaurant, using Aamodt’s apples.
 |
| Event at Aamodt's Apple Farm |
We wanted to take a moment and fill you in on some of the rich history that comes out of Aamodts Apple Farm.
Harry S. Truman was president. The average American family earned $2,950 a year. Gas cost 16 cents a gallon. Just a few years post-World War II, young families were filled with optimism and ambition. It was a great time to start something new. For Thor and Lucille Aamodt, the America Dream meant starting their own family-run apple orchard. They purchased a pretty piece of land near Stillwater, Minnesota, that seemed to have just the right soil and climate for growing crisp, juicy apples. And even then, it was just a short scenic drive from Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Thor and Lucille put everything they had into the apple farm. With some seedling apple trees, a well-thought out plan for planting, help from young son Tom, and a lot of prayers, Aamodt’s Apple Farm was born.
A few decades down the road, Tom and his wife, JoAnn, expanded the farm to include over 6,000 apple trees covering more than 50 acres.
Today, the apple farm is run by the third and fourth generations of Aamodt apple growers. Tom’s son, Chris Aamodt, now runs the orchard, along with his wife Billi Jo and sons Andreas, Christopher and Geoffrey and also daughter Laura. The youngest Aamodts will help out, too, once they’ve grown a bit.
Sixty-five years and a lot of delicious apples later, the picturesque apple farm still has the appeal that inspired Thor and Lucille.
If you are looking this fall to get out of the house for one last family outing before the weather turns cold, Aamodts is the perfect place to go. You can explore the historic buildings on the farm, go apple picking and experience a little trip back to a simpler time. They remain true to the original idea that your trip to the apple orchard should be educational, fun, relaxing—and delicious!
