From the Cultivating Our Communities Stories series BY KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek
Known for apples and cider, the youngest Zellerman siblings are continuing a family tradition started by their great-grandfather Joseph Zellerman in Adams County in 1930. This year marks the orchard’s 90th anniversary.
Edgewood Orchards near Quincy produces 12 varieties of apples grown on roughly 3,000 trees. Apples, cider, cider slushes, and a variety of apple and food products are available at the on-farm store.
Visit their website or follow the orchard on Facebook and Illinois Food MarketMaker.
The third generation, brothers Gary and Dennis Zellerman, owns the orchard with Gary’s wife, Theresa, overseeing the retail store. Gary’s children, Trevor, Clark, Jeffrey and Rachel, are the fourth generation working at the orchard.
Edgewood Orchards’ retail store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. In addition to apples, customers will find apple butter, a variety of jams and jellies, honey, nuts, candy and cookbooks. Pumpkins, squash and gourds are available.
Weekend specialties are freshly baked apple pies made with Edgewood Orchards’ fruit and baked by Quincy bakery, Cake Decorating Etc. Pies are sold Friday through Sunday.
The orchard is implementing health and safety practices. Hand sanitizer is available in the store and customers are encouraged to social distance and wear masks when inside.
Edgewood Orchards presses about 17,000 gallons of cider each year. The cider’s unique flavor comes from a blend of the orchard’s tart, sweet and neutral-flavored apples, Trevor said.
One batch of cider, about 1,000 gallons, uses 300 bushels of apples. Trevor estimated cider making will start around Oct. 10. Until then, orchard customers can enjoy cider slushes made from Edgewood Orchards’ apples.
Known for apples and cider, the youngest Zellerman siblings are continuing a family tradition started by their great-grandfather Joseph Zellerman in Adams County in 1930. This year marks the orchard’s 90th anniversary.
Edgewood Orchards near Quincy produces 12 varieties of apples grown on roughly 3,000 trees. Apples, cider, cider slushes, and a variety of apple and food products are available at the on-farm store.
Customer support for local food has remained strong through the pandemic, according to Trevor. “Our business is just as good as ever, if not better,” he said.
