CAMBRIDGE CITY, Ind. – A bit of agricultural adventures can be found at Dougherty Orchards, Indiana’s oldest family-owned orchard. Established in 1883, the orchard is owned by the 6th generation Andra Solis. She runs it with her husband Junior. Besides running the orchard, Andra is also a preschool teacher, and the primary decorator for the shop which is filled with a colorful array of décor and family heirlooms.

Fall means apple and pumpkin picking and busy days. For those that don’t want to pick, they have already picked fruit available. Dougherty’s grows 33 varieties of apples, as well as pumpkins, pears and sunflowers.

The orchard began when William Henry Dougherty returned home after the Civil War and purchased 160 acres of land, now known as Dougherty Orchards, where he planted 5 acres of apple, cherry and peach trees.

Over the years, the orchard was passed down through the family, improved and expanded. It eventually grew to 300 times its original size. Improvements included additional buildings, an irrigation system, automatic grading system and a cooler capable of holding 15,000 bushels of apples. The upgraded cider press can press 25,000 gallons of cider in the fall season.

Dougherty Orchards was officially recognized as the oldest family-owned orchard in Indiana in 1983, their 100th anniversary. Andra’s parents, Sandy and Joan, were awarded the Hoosier Homestead Award and the Centennial Business Award. With their unexpected deaths in 2004, the orchard was left to their children Andra, Shannan, and Tyler. In 2016, Andra bought the orchard from Shannan and Tyler.

That was a busy year for Andra and Junior as they added their 1883 Winery and Bar. “We decided how to make it better slowly,” Junior said about the orchard. “Apples are not enough.”

They added pumpkins, and acquired their wine, grocery and restaurant and liquor license to offer taste tests for both wine and bourbon. A table from the courthouse where Andra’s grandpa worked was their first bar. Junior built the next bar. The courthouse table, though, is still a staple.

Cider donuts, a lunch menu and more bring in customers and encourage them to linger. On their website, they share, “In 2016, Dougherty’s introduced apple wine made from homegrown apples. Since then, we have expanded and now offer 15 different wines and a variety of craft beer. Enjoy a glass of wine, wine slush, or beer as you stroll through the petting farm or purchase a bottle to enjoy at home.” 

In 2017 they added an event tent for venues. “Then we built a pavilion, we just built it last year,” Junior said.

The store that customers enter at the onset has always been part of the mix. “We added on, the original store was at the house. They sold cider out of the back yard. The house burned, then they had to rebuild. They lived in a barn until it was finished,” Junior shared about family resiliency.

After adding the pavilion, they got busy with weddings and more events, so they added restrooms and changing rooms. This offered a place for the wedding party to dress. They have space for a group of around 200 in the pavilion. There is a little chapel area for weddings. Open until the end of October they are talking about adding on.

“Three years ago, we added a greenhouse,” Junior said. They celebrated their 140th year as a family-owned Indiana orchard by adding a greenhouse and butterfly garden. This year, they added 500 lavender plants behind their new pavilion.

Dougherty Orchards are family friendly with photo opportunities everywhere. With a 1964 GMC out back and a cool Allis Chalmers crawler out front, there are lots of places for family photos. Today the orchard consists of apples and pears. “The crawler was used to spray apple trees,” Junior shared about the vintage machine.

Kids will especially enjoy the petting zoo. They have a highlander sheep named Lavender, a ValaisBlack Nose sheep named Ollie that goes for rides on the gator, and sika deer and more. On their website they detail, “Meet and interact with a variety of friendly farm and exotic animals, including goats, sheep, alpacas, miniature donkeys, and more. You’ll have the chance to feed and pet many of the animals.”

Dougherty Orchards, 1117 Dougherty Rd, Cambridge City, IN 47327. Contact them via email at doughertyorchards@gmail.com or call (765) 478-5198.