Time to Focus on the Joys of Life
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Carlson ’ s Orchard an enduring labor of love for its creators
NANCY DASHWOOD
Staff Writer
Sometimes when people graduate from high school , they soar into the future , and wind up making lives far from home .
Such was the case for high school sweethearts Joe and Colleen Carlson . The duo graduated from Holy Trinity in Winsted with the class of 1973 .
Joe ’ s path led him to Portland , OR , with a solid career in aerospace and nuclear sales . Colleen , after earning a greenhouse management degree , followed him west a couple of years later .
The Carlsons wed in 1982 , and thoroughly enjoyed living in the northwest region of the US . While they lived near Washington state – some of the best applegrowing soil in the nation – as sometimes happens , they felt a little hungry for home .
Together , the Carlsons wondered if good apples could be grown in Minnesota . They began to research the subject at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Horticultural Research Center in Chanhassen , which was just a jaunt up the road from their land in rural Winsted .
They continued to study and learn about apples – before taking a big bite in 1985 . That year , they planted the first of 4,000 apple trees .
Over the next seven years , the Carlsons grew their apple trees – and their family . Sons Nick and Noah joined the brood , and grew just as quickly as the trees .
During those years , Joe stayed in Portland working , while Colleen would come back home during the summer to care for their trees . She installed an irrigation system and pruned all of the trees as needed , and as Joe , says , she put the trees to be in the fall , before heading back to Oregon .
In 1992 , the Carlsons decided to go all in at their orchard . “ At seven years , trees need someone more full time ,” Joe said . “ And you don ’ t grow apples as a longdistance hobby .”
Around that time , the family also began refreshing and restoring every building on the place , starting with the house . After the house , came the garage , which didn ’ t stay a garage for very long .
“ We just did apples ,” Joe said . “ We had no visions of going into the barn .” During 1993 and 1994 , the Carlsons brought life back into the barn – which had previously housed pigs .
The Carlsons received one request consistently : people wanted apple pies . Initially , they met that request by delivering peeled apples to a local baker .
At the end of the 1993 season , the decided to turn the barn into a full-fledged bakery and sales area . With the help and advice from a State of Minnesota inspector , they put in new electrical , plumbing , insulation , drywall and flooring . They installed a commercial kitchen complete with ovens , a mixer , and self-designed apple peelers . They were ready to open for business for the 1994 season .
Seeing their success ,
Submitted
photo
Colleen and Joe Carlson returned to their Winsted-area roots decades ago , to make their dreams of an apple orchard come true .
the state inspector asked the Carlsons if they had ever thought about opening a cafe . One thing led to another , and within a year , the cafe became a reality . The Carlsons offered some of their favorite flavors from their time in the northwest - fresh sandwiches on focaccia bread with pesto . And their own apple pie recipe , of course .
They had such success with the sandwiches and pies , that they soon found themselves with a full lunch menu that included soup and salad , as well . And anchovies . Joe made sure his favorite anchovies were included , too .
According to Joe , the orchard really started to take off during 1995 and 1996 , when they began hosting Pork Chop Sundays . Joe was specific about the chops – he ordered them fresh from a local meat market , insisting they be cut 5 / 8 to 3 / 4 of an inch thick . He manned the grill , with the help of the Wright County Pork Producers , and he wasn ’ t messing around . “ I moved the chops from the grill to the plate as quickly as it could be done ,” he said .
Polka bands frequently were on scene to entertain diners . “ It was a fixture ,” Joe said . His numbers prove his point . The Carlsons hosted four to six dinners each year during prime apple season , and each one brought in 400
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Senior Connections Nov / Dec 2020
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