Alicia Abendroth Alicia Abendroth, along with her parents and brother, operate Apple Ridge Orchard in New York. Apples and stonefruit grow on the rolling hills near Wolcott on the farm this family purchased six years ago. "For my brother and I, this is a huge deal and we want to grow this," she says. As a young farmer, and a young family business, protecting the investment they make in each apple tree is critical to make sure the business grows. Central New York is a wonderful place to farm with generally good growing conditions and easy access to large populations of consumers. But here, like the rest of America's farm country, Mother Nature can be unforgiving. Hail in August this year damaged a crop of early apples right before harvest. "When something like that happens, there Alicia Abendroth A worker at the Apple Ridge Orchard picks apples on a beautiful September day. A worker carefully places the apples he's picked at the Apple Ridge Orchard into a bin. CROPINSURANCE TODAY® 21