An Old Story, Still Growing
A fall orchard visit uncovered a piece of REMC history and a story that feels remarkably familiar 45 years later.
Sometimes a member visit comes with an unexpected trip through the REMC archives.
A September stop at Beiersdorfer Orchard began simply enough: pick up a few bags of apples and some fresh cider and learn a little more about a longtime Dearborn County orchard.
Then owner Hilda Beiersdorfer brought out a piece of REMC history.
Framed behind glass was a two-page article from the November 1981 issue of Indiana Rural News/Electric Consumer, featuring Beiersdorfer Orchard in Southeastern Indiana REMC’s Watt’s Watt pages. Its headline read, “Apple growing is family business.”
The article introduced readers to Bill and Hilda and described an orchard that was already a true family operation. At the time, the Beiersdorfers were growing 12 varieties of apples, along with peaches, pears and greenhouse tomatoes. Their cold-storage rooms could hold more than 10,000 bushels of apples, and the family was producing thousands of gallons of fresh cider each year.
Much has changed since 1981, but much sounded remarkably familiar.
Hilda is still there, welcoming customers with a giant smile and plenty of stories. The family is still growing fruit on the same REMC lines. Apples and cider still leave the farm for customers near and far.
And there was one more familiar detail.
The writer of that 1981 REMC article noted that the visitors couldn’t leave without buying some apples and cider of their own.
Forty-five years later,
neither could we.
