POPLAR GROVE, Ill. — With Thanksgiving approaching, there is still fall fun to be had at Edwards Orchard in Poplar Grove, Ill. Located near Rockford, Ill., just south of Wisconsin, the Edwards family has created a unique farm experience.

The farm has 22 members of the Edwards’ family involved with the business. The farm began as a dairy, and now serves as an apple orchard and more. An old corn crib is where apples are displayed; the former milking parlor is a bakery, and the old bullpen has become a coffee shop known as the Cider Cellar.

In the Cider Cellar, visitors can enjoy hot apple pie topped with ice cream or mild cheddar cheese. There is a straw-filled hayloft play area, a petting zoo, a gift shop and a farm museum filled with agricultural antiques.

Farmers or former farmers enjoy the Farmall tractors, the old equipment and vehicles on display in the museum. In the barn, there are a variety of seed sacks and other farm treasures to review, as well. A ride on a wagon pulled by horses offers a chance to pick apples or get a view of the orchard close up.

Carrie Skogsberg of Rockford, Ill., has made visiting the orchard a fall tradition.

“My husband, Brent, and I usually come out and get a pumpkin for Halloween and apples for fall,” Skogsberg said.

This visit, though, she was focusing her attention on the cider apple donuts that she said, “are heavenly.”

Skogsberg brought her grandparents from Pawnee, Ill. to see the orchard. Edwards Orchard offers already picked apples, or the chance to pick them directly from the tree.

With more than 10,000 semi-dwarf trees, the earliest variety they offer is Gingergold, which ripened about Aug. 25.

This was followed by Gala, McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Johnathan, Empire, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Early Fuji and ending with Late Fuji and Granny Smith, which just became available for picking on Oct. 25.

In the gift shop, Edwards Orchard offers a variety of palate-pleasing items along with interesting places to sit and drink in the agricultural atmosphere. The orchard offers freshly milled sweet cider, homemade cider donuts, hand-dipped caramel apples, Wisconsin cheese, apple butter, honey, jams and jellies, smoked meat and homegrown squash. The Edwards also grow mums, Indian corn, pumpkins and colorful gourds for fall decorating.

Across the street from the orchard was a field filled with pumpkins, and raspberry season just ended with the onset of frost.

The family homestead stands behind the barn with an old-fashioned truck parked in front - making visitors want to knock on the door and ask to see it, too. Visitors were greeted for years by a Golden Retriever, Rusty, that passed away this past year. The family said they have a new Retriever named Ollie after the Oliver tractors that were popular during the 1950-60s. The puppy, though, is not yet visitor-worthy and is putting off his appearance until he has “simmered down.”

Edwards Orchard is open from early September until Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Edwards Orchard is located two miles north of Poplar Grove on Centerville Road at 7061 Centerville Road, Poplar Grove, IL 61065. Call 815-765-2234 for details.

This farm news was published in the Nov. 15, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.