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Sitting high (at a 770-foot elevation) on 392 acres of farmland off Slim Island Road, approximately 10,000 trees produce apples, peaches, cherries, and more. Open from mid-April to November each year, the family\u2019s multigeneration farm brings in thousands of visitors annually. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of my favorite places in Bowling Green,\u201d one of the many satisfied Google reviewers wrote. \u201cPies and slushes are delicious, and there are lots of goodies in the store area, along with plants and mums. The playground area is great for kiddos, and parents can sit under the shelter to eat their goodies and watch kids play. There is a petting zoo, hayrides, and all kinds of activities during the fall. Love, love, love this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the farm, Jackson\u2019s offers popular seasonal dishes and American classics like hot dogs and barbecue at their concession stand, which is open from July through November. In the summer, they serve fried pies filled with their very own apples, peaches, and cherries; homemade peach ice cream; and apple cider slushies, an all-time favorite,\u201d Otis said. Crowds come for caramel apples, hot apple cider, pumpkin muffins, and more in the fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jackson\u2019s Orchard\u2019s mission statement is to provide quality produce in a safe, family environment and to engage with the Bowling Green community. In September 2021, Fox News recognized Jackson\u2019s Orchard as one of the Top 10 orchards to visit in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe host educational tours throughout the year,\u201d Otis said. \u201cOne of our more popular workshops is the annual Pruning\u00a0Conference held the first Saturday of March. It is open to the public at no charge, and Bill and Jonathan teach proper care of fruit trees. We also host 4-H clubs, Master Gardeners, HomeMakers, and, of course, our school tours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the fall, Jackson\u2019s hosts several festivals where families can explore the pumpkin patch, take hayrides, visit the petting zoo, and pick apples. And every Labor Day weekend, the orchard hosts Apple Fest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParents love to take their kids out to pick their own pumpkins and apples and teach them that an apple isn’t from a grocery store \u2014 it actually grows on a tree, and this is how you pick them,\u201d Otis said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jackson\u2019s Orchard & Nursery Inc. are members of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Proud Initiative, and the Kentucky Farm Bureau\u2019s Roadside Market Program. So there are many reasons families can feel good about bringing home Jackson\u2019s Orchard products or produce. They puree their soft peaches to use in their ice cream. There are no preservatives and no sugar added to their cider. And for people concerned with additives and where their food comes from, there\u2019s no better way to source it than from a local farmer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you know your local farmer, then most likely you can trust that they’re protecting our environment and growing a very safe product for your family to enjoy,\u201d Otis said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otis and her nephew, Jonathan Price, manage the day-to-day business at the orchard. And Bill and Shirley, after 56 years, are still active in daily operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is not uncommon to see children, grandchildren, and extended family pitching in, especially on festival weekends,\u201d Otis said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, Bill was even recognized as the Regional Apple Grower of the Year for his contributions to the apple industry in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s just what we love to do,\u201d Otis said. \u201cThat\u2019s about it.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IN THE winter of 1966, a quick conversation between Bill Jackson, a driven FMC Agricultural Chemicals salesman, and Ed Hudgens, the 89-year-old owner of an orchard, sparked an unexpected turn of events.\u00a0 “Instead of selling me chemicals,” Hudgens suggested, “why don’t you just buy this farm, ’cause I’m way past needing to retire.” By March, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":20729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/bowling-green\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/4-1024x683.png\")
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