Owning Countryside Orchard for nearly 18 years, Stanley Musgrave and his wife, Judy, took their retirement from life as teachers living in Rochester to the Musgrave's six acres of paradise.

The orchard is located outside of Rochester at 370 N 500 W. Originally growing up on a farm and orchard near Martinsville, Musgrave moved to Rochester for his first teaching job at Rochester High School. That would turn into his full-time career for the next 43 years. Despite working in a classroom and living in the Manitou Heights subdivision, Musgrave never lost his green thumb. 

Musgrave's retirement from teaching and moving to the orchard felt more like he was getting back to his roots. Although loving the farm life growing up, one thing Musgrave remembered from his childhood while helping with the thirtysome acres of orchard his father used to co-own, was the chemicals his father would use on the trees to keep away pests. 

Making the observation that it could have been the pesticides that caused illnesses in some of his family members, Musgrave wanted to run his orchard a little differently than his father by not using dangerous chemicals on any of his plants. 

Changing the tradition by making his orchard chemical-free for all of the apples, pears, strawberries, and vegetables is something the Musgraves take pride in. Countryside Orchard had formerly been a certified organic farm. This year, however, Musgrave determined that renewing the certifications to be labelled as organic was no longer economically feasible for the business. 

Having 200 apple trees with 29 varieties of apples, their you-pick-farm is open by appointment by calling 574-223-3213 from late July through October. Their products are also sold pre-picked at the orchard and at the Rochester and Culver Community Farmers Markets.

Another popular product the orchard carries is their homemade, unpasteurized apple cider. The cider making process at Countryside Orchard, is pure, clean and simple, and they only use their farm raised apples. You can get yours for just $7 a half gallon from the orchard.