| The Carlinville Orchard, consisting of 123 acres, was established in 1920 by
Leonard Sooy. The orchard remained in the Sooy family until 1968 when it
was purchased by William and Joan Broom. William's father, William
Stanford Broom, started growing apples in Marion County in 1920. We are
the third generation of apple growers! The orchard was increased by five acres in 1972 to bring the total acreage to
128 acres. Presently, there are approximately 70 acres in fruit
production. In the late 1970s, the emphasis was changed to retail apples
sales. A cider press was purchased in 1980. In 1982, the
Apple
Festival was created to promote you-pick-apples and our retail market. In
1990, the Pumpkin Festival was started to promote pumpkins and a family-friendly
atmosphere.
In 1995, William and Joan sold the orchard to their son and daughter-in-law,
Jeff and Lisa Broom. Jeff and Lisa built a new retail
Farm Market and
kitchen as of 1995.
A pasteurizer was purchased in 1997. We use a process called
"flash
pasteurization" where the cider is brought to 160 degrees for eight to ten
seconds to insure great-tasting safe cider.
In 2001, the 65-year-old packing shed was eliminated and the construction of
our pole barn with new coolers, office, storage and expanded kitchen was
created. Our goal is to provide top-quality fruit that is freshly picked,
along with a family atmosphere. We invite you and your family to come and
experience our festivals and Farm Market where your
business is always appreciated!
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