Welcome to AVEnue Orchard!
A little bit about us…
AVEnue Orchard is owned and operated by Ron (aka. Ronnie Appleseed) and Shelly Knutson, Matt and Misty Joers, and Ronnie Appleseed’s grandson, Mason.
While working at General Billy Mitchell Air Reserve Station, the base was ordered to close under Base Realignment And Closer (BRAC) act. The decision was made that Ron would retire and the family would return to their hometown in Eau Claire, WI. Shelly planned on finding a job doing assisted living while Ron planned on crafting flag cases. During a visit to Eau Claire, Shelly and Misty joined other family members to go to some thrift sales. Their route took them past a bed and breakfast with a small apple orchard and a wood working shop on 10 acres of land. This gem became their new home and Apple Valley Enterprises, LLC was born.
Under the umbrella of Apple Valley Enterprises LLC they own and operate AVEnue Orchard, Apple Valley Home and MMRR
About the orchard…
We began AVEnue Orchard in 2007 with 115 trees. With no map to what kinds of apples were here it was like a treasure hunt going through and discovering what was growing in the orchard, including timeless varieties such as Yellow Transparent and Duchess. It took some work to get the trees into shape and producing beautiful fruit once again, and now we are overrun with delicious produce.
In addition to the apples, we also have a few varieties of pears and plums. We also added a garden to the property, growing squash, jack-o-lanterns, and giant pumpkins that are the perfect decoration for the fall season.
So far we have added over 1,500 trees to the orchard, and we hope there’s more to come. Some of our favorite additions to the orchard would be our SnowSweet and Zestar, as well as old favorites such as Cortland and Wolf River. Not sure what variety you will enjoy? We will let you taste samples of the varieties we have available. And In 2015 we partnered with Class Apple Orchard, which is a Pick-Your-Own location. Class Apple is located at 5198 Sunset View Dr. Eau Claire, WI. Check them out online. www.classapple.com
Come and visit our on site store. We offer pre picked apples as well as pick your own. Stay for an hour or spend the day in our quiet, family friendly orchard. We offer a picnic area as well as yard games to keep you busy.
Besides our on-site store, you will also see us at various local Farmer’s Markets with our apples as well as our full line of jams, jellies, butters, and sauces. While visiting us there, don’t forget to get your picture taken with Ronnie Appleseed.
We’re not your average orchard.
