Iowa Orchard

[Kohlsdorf]  Iowa might be known for its endless rows of corn and soybeans, but just outside the Des Moines metro, a family farm is growing something a little sweeter.

[Bryan Etchen] Our strawberries are grown at the Granger location, and it is probably the largest or one of the largest strawberry farms in the state of Iowa.

[Kohlsdorf]  In June, eight acres of lush strawberry fields burst with fruit from over 100 original plants, inviting passers by to pull over, wander the rows and pick their own sweet produce as long as they have a reservation in advance.

[Bryan Etchen] We've gone to this appointment system, which is super simple. The customers love it. We do have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of appointments per day.

[Kohlsdorf]  And just getting to the berries is part of the experience.

[Bryan Etchen] Yeah, so there's our hayride going right now. It's transporting people to and from the field. And if you can see big flats of full berries on there, that's so people don't have to spill them when they carry them back. 

[Kohlsdorf]  In July, the height of midsummer sunshine brings a new kind of harvest to Iowa orchard.

[Bryan Etchen] We have our raspberry picking and our sunflower field, home grown raspberries and a beautiful sunflower field with possibly a sunset behind you. I mean, it's cool. It's really neat.

[Kohlsdorf]  In the fall, pumpkins and apples are the main attraction at Iowa Orchards main location in Urbandale. 

[Bryan Etchen] We usually have 3000 to 5000 pumpkins on display for jack o lanterns and all your Halloween activities and all of that. That's where our bakery is as well. So, we make 35 kinds of pies. We make fresh apple cider. We have a little play area as well, but that's our that's our main location for apple season.

[Kohlsdorf] From springs first berries to autumn's pumpkin harvest, Iowa Orchard encourages travelers along highway 141 to taste the rhythm of the seasons one berry, one sunflower, and one pumpkin at a time.