Generations of growth

Oct. 4—WHEELERSBURG — Fuhrmann Orchards, LLC has been serving the area since Pete and Susan Fuhrmann founded the business in 1958. From its beginning as a greenhouse and an apple orchard, the business has flourished over the course of the past 60 years and now offers apples, peaches, nectarines, melons, a wide variety of vegetables, cut flowers, fall squash and pumpkins.

The business is still owned and operated by the Fuhrmann family — Paul and Leanne Fuhrmann and their five children, Lora Lee, Abby, Melanie, Andrew, and Jeremy — and still prides itself on the dream and work ethic of its founders.

Abigail Fuhrmann said she has been working at the family business her entire life, or at least since she could walk, she said with a laugh. Fuhrmann is now a teacher at Circleville Middle School, but still enjoys coming home on the weekends to work at the orchard and take care of her customers.

"I teach math and science, which is a great way to interact with students," she said. "And I slip in a little agriculture every chance I get."

Fuhrmann said the orchard is always interested in the needs and requests from their customers, and is pleased to be offering their own orchard grown mums this year.

"We decided to grow our own mums in a variety of colors this year because there was such a high demand from our customers," Fuhrmann said. "We are right here in Wheelersburg, Ohio, but we service the entire tri-state area. We are still really close, even to Ashland," she said.

The orchard regularly serves the area in season through two different Farmer's Markets, in Boyd County (KDMC parking lot) and at Camp Landing, but the orchard itself is open until Christmas, so customers who might have missed getting fresh produce at the Farmer's Markets — or who simply want more of the fresh produce — can come see the Fuhrmanns at their Wheelersburg location.

"And we also grow all of our fall pumpkins," Fuhrmann said of the seasonal favorite. "And we grow all of our gourds and squash as well. Our fall pumpkins are a big thing, and we have been growing our own for the past 25 years."

Some growers have to supplement their stock by purchasing from other growers, but Fuhrmann said the orchard has never had that problem and provides a wide variety of popular pumpkins.

"We have the large carving pumpkins," she said. "But our biggest hit is the white pumpkins, and other specialty pumpkins." Fuhrmann said if you are looking for any variety of pumpkin, the orchard most likely has it in stock. They also grow a wide variety of squashes, and both the pumpkins and squashes will be available until they sell out, typically sometime in November.

Fuhrmann Orchards also has an upcoming event, an apple butter contest.

"Anyone who purchases apples from us can enter the apple butter contest," Fuhrmann said. "They can submit their apple butter to us, and we have a People's Choice Award, which is a one-day event where everyone can come in and taste all of the entries. One of the orchard's owners, Leanne Fuhrmann, will also chose a winner from the entries, and award a gift certificate for the top prize. The contest runs from now until December, when the winners will be chosen, Fuhrmann said.

Fuhrmann said the farmers markets are a great way to find all of the other vegetables they grow as well, and of course they are also available at their market at the orchard itself in Wheelersburg.

"Some people are still unaware of all of the other vegetables we grow, aside from traditional peaches and apples," she said. "We have everything from sweet to hot peppers, zucchini, kale, Swiss chard, and our green beans are wonderful. We just had a fresh patch of green beans — both string and half runners. We have sweet corn, with another patch coming — and that's something that's really special this time of year. And of course, watermelon and cantaloupe; we have watermelon now because we put in a late planting. And this year we had raspberries and blackberries."

Fuhrmann Orchards also grow a wide variety of flowers and gives customers the opportunity to pick their own flowers in season. They also make flower arrangements for weddings including hand bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages and centerpieces. These arrangements are a family affair involving Fuhrmann and her mother and sisters, which she said is much more enjoyable than doing it alone. The orchard also has a large field of sunflowers located atop the hill behind the market where customers can pick their own sunflowers for $1 per stem.

Fuhrmann said the best way to find out what the orchard has to offer is to call 1-740-776-6406, visit and message them on their Facebook Page, of go directly to their website at fuhrmannorchards.com, where they also post videos and recipes for their fresh produce, and you can join their email list through the website.