Carpenter Nature Center’s (CNC) Apple Orchard is now open! The Apple Shack began selling three of their 14 varieties and seasonal goods on Sept. 8. Decades of development, a health crisis, and environmental stress preceded the inception. Whether positive or disappointing, parts of CNC’s history will be revealed throughout Autumn 2021. Visitors are bound to be captivated.

Carpenter Nature Center was once a private residence that cultivated apples. The estate had its start when married couple Thomas Carpenter and Edna Carpenter began buying territory near the St. Croix River. They developed their property from 1943 to 1973. An apple orchard was one of the projects that they pursued. “[Thomas] worked for a bank,” Sverre Sundgaard, the Natural Resources/ Orchard Manager at CNC, recalled, “and they would give you a 10-pound bag of apples if you opened up an account. That was just their big sales pitch…in the ‘40s and ‘50s.”

Thomas and Edna founded a non-profit, private foundation in 1969. It would direct their property once they passed on in the ‘70s. A Board of Trustees was established as well. That group transformed the estate into a site for public use from 1973 to 1981. Attractions such as bridges and overlooks were installed. They are intact today. Additionally, Carpenter Nature Center is managed by the same foundation that Thomas and Edna formed long ago.

Artifacts from the Carpenters’ time can be discovered in the Apple Shack this fall. A photograph captured in the mid-1900s is one of them. It is hung adjacent to the cashier desk. In the picture, Thomas is standing next to his orchard manager who is wearing a picking bag. That exact item is inside of the Apple Shack. Sundgaard presented it to The Journal and stated, “These are the picking bags we use today. “They’re not as clean-white.”

A third object of historic significance at CNC is an “original” apple sorter made of oak. It is situated across from the Apple Shack’s cashier desk. Lastly, CNC utilizes their old collection boxes, “which nobody really uses anymore,” Sundgaard remarked. “Most of the orchards have giant boxes now…so we take a bag of apples and put them in here, and we drop the trolley [to] let them out…”

One year ago, CNC operated their apple orchard despite the COVID-19 Pandemic. Customers were able to shop the Apple Shack; they could not roam the building. Rather, orders were accepted at the entrance. After that, employees would fetch the requested goods. CNC also facilitated a curbside service last season. This method has returned for Autumn 2021.

Apples have been impacted by past weather at CNC. For instance, a moderate-severe drought took place in Washington County, MN this summer. According to Sundgaard, those conditions are now resulting in miniature crops. “We do have drip line irrigation,” he countered. “It doesn’t always work; I’m constantly wrestling with the irrigation.”

The drought in the Twin Cities is not the only cause of tinier apples. Spacing can determine the size of apples as well. “So, you don’t want clusters of apples,” taught Sundgaard. “You want to spread them out. So, what we do is we’ll spray chemical thinner, and that’s a hormone that stresses the tree out, so they’ll drop a lot of that fruit.”

Approximately 1,500 trees populate CNC’s Apple Orchard. Sundgaard admitted that he lacked the number of workers required to evenly hand-thin the trees. “You want an apple every six inches…” he indicated. “You can see some trees, we didn’t get to that point. So, we end up with…smaller apples.”

For an apple to be worthy of sale, it must be at least two and a half inches in diameter and U.S. Grade A Fancy. Currently, the summer apples of Zestar!, Frirst Kiss, and Sweet Tango are being picked and sold. They may not be as large as desired, but they are adequate. Any apple that is less than fancy is either sold for baking or privately used.

Happening now, outdoor conditions are moistening while the autumn apples ripen. The National Weather Service Twin Cities Drought Update of Sept. 2, 2021 reported that, while the drought endures, “nearly the entire area saw a one-class improvement in drought status this week.”

Sundgaard recognized this alteration. He dreamed, “Now, we’re getting rain. So, at this point…[we are] waiting for the apples to ripen up and hopefully they size up a little better…our fall apples, like the SnowSweet and the Honeycrisp…need another month or two. We’re waiting on those nice fall days.”

CNC’s Apple Orchard contains evidence of their past in multiple areas of their apple orchard. Readers are likely itching to know how they can interact with the center this autumn.

If one is a student, there is a chance that they will attend CNC’s Apple Orchard for a class field trip. At this time, children aged 12-15 can secure the Comirnaty shot that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized for emergency use. Comirnaty is FDA approved among people aged 16 and above. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed to adults due to Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA). Sundgaard pointed out that every intern and educator at CNC is protected. “They…made that a standard because [they are] working with kids,” he said, “…we’re just going to try and stay masked and prevent any sort of [outbreak].”

There is a limited amount of information regarding events at CNC’s Apple Orchard. First of all, the University of Minnesota was supposed to present their Raptor Release on Sept. 25. This activity was cancelled. CNC is debating whether or not to throw their annual Apple Fest. Apple Fest is a celebration where families can pick pumpkins and apples, do crafts, munch on seasonal foods, and learn about St. Croix River Valley’s animals. If CNC decides to run it, Apple Fest will occur on Oct. 9 and 10. Lastly, every Wednesday, guests are prompted to pick their own apples. CNC employees will guide participants through the process.

One last way to become involved with CNC’s Apple Orchard is to shop the Apple Shack. There are two ways to do so. The first way is to browse in-store. Maple syrups, honey, canned goods, and seasonal produce will be available for purchase. Sundgaard listed the precautions that will be taken inside of the Apple Shack: “On nice days, we’ll probably have all the windows open, maybe a fan going. All of my staff is gonna be masked…We’re gonna ask customers to be masked… We have a lot of hand sanitizer around…we’ll try to limit 10 people in the store at a time.”

A second way to shop the Apple Shack is through CNC’s curbside service. One can view the shop online and order via phone at any time. The appropriate website is carpenternaturecenter.org/ plan-your-visit/apples/ and their phone number is (651)- 437-4359. Apple Shack requests that are placed during business hours will be available for pick-up within one hour. Orders that are placed while CNC is closed will be assembled when CNC next opens.

The Apple Shack will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays leading up to Thanksgiving. 12805 St. Croix Trail S. Hastings, MN 55033 is where CNC’s Apple Orchard is located.

The Apple Shack is decorated and primed for CNC’s Apple Orchard season. Photo by Sadie Jones

An inside look at CNC’s Apple Shack! Photo by Sadie Jones