Our History

Before Columbus Discovery Orchard existed as it does today, our family had a small farm in Deforest where we raised goats and one stubborn llama. We began caring for sheep in 2000 with two orphan lambs that would grow up to begin our flock. A couple of years later, we made the move to Columbus at which time owner Jim began caring for a small backyard orchard near Columbus. In 2003, we started selling apples and lamb meat at local farmers’ markets, which we continue to do every fall.

After learning the basics of apple care and looking to expand our offerings, we began planting our own trees in 2006. We initially planted 140 trees on the farm, most of which became unintended deer food. We learned from our errors, and replanted the trees the following year. By 2010, our original orchard area was established with 490 apple trees.

We welcomed visitors to the farm for the first time in 2011 at which time we also planted our first pumpkin patch! We introduced our pumpkin cannon, the Pumpkinator, a few years later in 2014, which you can learn more about here.

Since opening to the public, we have offered free admission for all visitors. We believe that everyone should have access to agricultural experiences, so we hope to lessen typical financial barriers. We welcome donations on-site for those that are able so that we may sustain this for years to come! 

Today, we are home to more than 600 apple trees and a flock of 15 ewes (female sheep) which have 25-30 lambs each year. Throughout the years, we have also kept a small herd of goats that act as our farm pets! Our goats love attention and being fed by visitors.

In the farm shop, we sell 10 varieties of apples, various cuts of lamb meat, and pumpkins and gourds of many sizes! We also offer apple cider, two types of apple salsa, and caramel apples for purchase. In addition to food products, we produce and sell wool dryer balls, bird nesting builders, and cat toys using wool from our sheep. 

We continue to expand our offerings yearly to include more family activities such as pumpkin checkers, outdoor connect four games, and fall photo opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you to the Orchard this fall and meeting you at local farmers’ markets!