Curt died last week after battling cancer and a number of other conditions which made his last few years hard. But, his spirit continues to shine - and that’s why I’m writing about a cousin from Delano.

 

For Curt, a born small town “city-slicker,” came to love the land and grow things, like apples. He, his wife Helen and family decided to share their farm with lots of “city slickers” so they, in his terms, would learn that popcorn doesn’t come from a box.

 

It comes from the land.

 

After his college degrees and many years of counseling within Hennepin County, Curt and Helen regrouped their lives and purchased a farm near Delano.

 

Fall Harvest Orchard was the name of the place. Over the past 20 years, they have taken a thriving roadside produce stand to an outdoor classroom for any family who wanted to visit.

 

Young and old alike have  delighted at all the young animals scampering about the place.

 

On a visit a dozen years ago, the little ones in our group met a baby burro, calves suckling from their mothers, piglets, goats, ducks, chickens, geese and a peacock.

 

The kids petted the animals, when they could, and crawled around in a playpen not made of sand - but of corn.

 

There was produce for sale and hayrides to the cornfields. I remember Curt leaning back from the tractor to me as we headed out to the field one afternoon, “I suspect the kids think the popcorn comes from boxes. They’ll learn differently.”

 

You could see their eyes open in amazement after Curt jumped from the tractor, shucked a corn stalk of its ear and held it up to the kids, saying “It’s popcorn!”

And field corn - and Indian corn - and the corn from which tortillas are made. (The sweet corn was elsewhere.)

 

The kids had come to the farm - and the farm had come to the kids.

 

Curt, Helen and family have made this adventure a major part of their lives, opening Fall Harvest Orchard to the public (for free) each weekend in September and October.

 

Many families from our area have visited the Petersons and learned from their classroom.

 

And the Petersons welcome you, the Tribune readers, to join them for their nature-classroom adventure.

 

With Curt’s death, the future of the farm may well be in limbo. 

 

Take adventage of this opportunity and visit them. You can learn more about the farm on their website.

 

Directions to the place are  simple - about a 40-minute drive. Head south on Hwy. 25 through Buffalo to Hwy. 12, then westerly to Montrose. Take a left at the first stoplight, on a county road, heading south for about two miles, til you meet up with another intersection - a fourway stop sign. Go left, back east, about two-three miles til you find a bend in the road to the left.

 

You will have found Fall Harvest Orchard.

 

Curt was particularly proud of a new apple he had designed in the past five years. They’re called “Sweet Tango.”

 

I think you’ll like them.