January 2021 - 1

Krohne Plant Farms
nursery operation sold
to Indiana Berry
Hort society recognizes
distinguished service
10
14
18
Mating disruption
studied for control of
San Jose Scale
January 2021 | Volume 60 |
Issue 1
Successful
succession
Finger Lakes' Apple Barrel Orchards
shifts to next generation
Three generations of growers. From the upper left are grandparents Charles and Barbara Wager, Bernie and Roxanne Wager and Allison (Wager) Hiller and Michael Hiller.
Photos: Apple Barrel Orchards/Ashley Updyke Photography
By Stephen Kloosterman
Associate Editor
A new generation of family owners
will lead Apple Barrel Orchards into the
next century.
Michael and Allison Hiller purchased
the farm market and a sizable portion of
the land in the Finger Lakes Region of New
York state from Allison's parents, Bernard
and Roxanne Wager, in 2020. Together,
they're the fourth generation of the family
to own the farm started in 1922 by greatgrandparents
Forrest and Olive Wager.
" Mike and I hope to continue to
expand the business in different ways
and have already made plans to plant
some new varieties of apples next
spring, " Allison said.
Fruitful grounds
With the Apple Barrel farm operation,
the Hiller family bought more than
21 acres of apples and nearly 29 acres
of grapes - mostly winegrapes, but
some Concords, Allison said. The farm
operation also has a small orchard of
sweet cherries for U-pick.
Bernie and Roxanne continue to manage
about 42 acres of fruit that are used for
wholesale production. The Wager family
sells some apples to the processor for the
Mott's brand, and winegrapes to select
local wineries and larger wine companies.
The ground near the village of Penn Yan
and Keuka Lake has mixed soil classes,
generally gravelly silt loam, Allison said
- deep, well-drained soil with medium
natural fertility. Although the invasive
spotted lanternfly is a pest to watch for
growers in the Finger Lakes, she said it has
yet to arrive.
" The spotted lanternfly has not affected
our area yet, " Allison said. " For apples and
grapes, we are always on the lookout for
scab, powdery and downy mildew, grape
berry moth and Japanese beetles. Each year
is a bit different depending on the weather. "
The Finger Lakes region in general
is ideal for growing fruit - as of 2017,
there were 9,393 acres of vineyards in
the region producing roughly 54,600
tons of grapes, according to a study from
Cornell University.
" The climate is ideal for growing apples,
grapes and cherries due to the seasons we
experience here, " she said. " The trees and
vines need a dormant period and long
growing season with the right amount of
growing degree days. "
Business management
There are more than 50 farm markets in
the Finger Lakes region, according to the
Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance. The past
season required growers to provide some
precautions for the pandemic.
" We had to change up the flow of our
U-pick operation this year, " Allison said.
" We added a check-in and weigh-out
station to help with social distancing and
monitored and controlled the number of
people coming into our farm store where
our pre-packed fruit is sold. "
It's not the first time the farm market
has had to adapt - in 2005, Bernie and
Roxanne sold their farm on Wager Hill
Road and moved the Apple Barrel business
to their home farm on Sand Hill Road.
" The new location was on flatter land
which made it easier for the U-pick
operation, " Allison said. " There was more
See SUCCESSION, page 5

January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021