We had the good fortune of connecting with Andy Ferguson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I was 13 years old, I started a lawn care service that paid for my first car. While it was nice earning a little money at that age, it was the thrill of knocking on doors and promoting my services that started the entrepreneurial bug. I graduated from law school in 2012 and that commitment was put to the test. When I was faced with a choice between several lucrative job offers from law firms and a Fortune 500 company, the entrepreneurial desire won – I instead joined my parents’ small apple orchard business with one location in rural Wisconsin with the goal of growing it to support the family for generations to come. Today, my days of knocking on doors to mow lawns have passed, replaced with 1,000 acres of farms throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. Over 400 acres of apples, 50 acres of pumpkins and sunflowers, and plenty of grass to mow.

Early on, our family realized that opening our farms to the community each fall would provide both valuable diversification and a tremendous sense of pride in teaching people where their food comes from. We wondered – what if this experience could be so fun and entertaining for the public that they don’t even realize they’re learning? And so our “agritourism” business was born, now with four locations open to the public each fall, each boasting apple and pumpkin picking, corn mazes, wagon rides, farm animals and over 200,000 annual visitors. The orchards themselves presented an opportunity to do good as well; we introduced innovative and sustainable growing practices and vowed to use every apple, from fresh eating apples to caramel apples to fresh cider.

Looking back, like overcoming my introverted tendencies as a child to knock on strangers’ doors to market my lawn care service, the choice to join and grow my family business was one that comes with no regrets. Living with my wife and two young daughters on the farm has been an invaluable experience, and as they get older they may choose to continue in the family business. Who knows – maybe they will start by mowing the lawn.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
There are two main parts of our business – growing apples and growing memories. As one of the largest apple growers in the Midwest, apples from our orchards can be found at grocery stores and retail chains throughout the country. As innovators in the “agritourism” industry, we provide destinations for our communities to visit each fall and make lasting memories. Our multiple retail agritourism locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota offer apple orchards, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, bakeries, quaint retail stores and countless other fun family activities.

One thing that sets our family apart in our industry is our willingness to try new things on a larger scale – we now have 4 locations open to the public, each still owned and operated by our family. As we continue to grow, we consider it our responsibility to reach as many communities as possible in order to teach where their food comes from, allow them an opportunity to meet their farmers and experience life on the farm. If visitors can do that while finding countless Instagram-worthy photo ops, everybody wins!

We have rapidly expanded over the years both by improving our existing farms and acquiring new ones – often saving them from impending development when the next generation does not wish to continue. The average age of farmers is nearly 60, so we look to provide a lasting legacy when a farmer wishes to retire (although in our experience, farmers never truly retire!).

Our industry is not without its challenges – in fact it’s full of them. Farming is notoriously weather dependent, and we know people have countless options for how to spend their fall weekends. We overcome these challenges by keeping the “farmer optimism” with a bit of “if you build it they will come.” Fortunately, the passion our family puts into our fall destinations seems to resonate with visitors and we are honored to play a role in creating memories for other families.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
You can’t visit Western Wisconsin or Eastern Minnesota without enjoying the great outdoors! If my best friend was visiting the area in the summer, I would be sure to show them one of our countless beautiful lakes and rivers. If they were lucky enough to visit during the beautiful fall months, apple and pumpkin picking would top the list as can’t-miss activities!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family is definitely deserving of a Shoutout, since they have been instrumental in this journey from day one. My parents modeled a strong work ethic and willingness to take risks, my brother and business partner Joe plays a key leadership role in our business and served in the Marine Corps, and my wife Ashley manages our retail stores and is a strong leader in our business and at home. And last but certainly not least, my two young daughters provide the daily motivation needed to run our own business.

Website: www.fergusonsorchard.com www.minnesotaharvest.net

Instagram: @fergusonsorchard, @minnesotaharvest

Facebook: Ferguson’s Orchards – Eau Claire; Ferguson’s Orchards – Galesville; Ferguson’s Minnesota Harvest

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