Cottonwood Farm is a organic mixed fruit orchard planted on land that has been farmed by the Nelson family for over 100 years. Cared for by husband and wife, Dan Heising and Stacy Nelson-Heising, Cottonwood Farm’s orchard begun to take shape in 2012 when 100 apple trees and 50 cherry trees were planted by the couple and their family and friends. Additional trees have been added over the years and now there are close to 2,000 trees growing in the orchard. Cottonwood Farm is ND’s largest commercial apple orchard.
Planted in an alfalfa field for ground cover, in Cottonwood Farm’s orchard you will find ND wild flowers and grasses, mushrooms, wild life and pollinators galore! Bloom time for the fruit trees typically begins in May and fruit harvest starts in July. Finishing in late October. The apple trees are cold weather varieties. Many of the trees are heritage antique cultivars. To see a complete listing of the types of apples grown by Cottonwood Farm, please see the Meet Our Apples page.
If you are interested in learning more about what goes on in Cottonwood’s apple orchard, please call our Orchardist, Stacy Nelson-Heising. Or, for up-to-date orchard information, like us on Facebook.