My Dad was born in a tiny bedroom a few steps from the kitchen in our fourth generation Lehman farm. Grandpa’s original apple trees were still thriving there until just a few years ago. Some of the nut trees my dad planted with his own hands there are now more than 60’ tall!
Dad was a “tree hugger” long before it was even a thing. He lovingly kept those apple trees going for years after they should have given up the ghost. Under his care, we got more and more fruit every year, at a time when apple production from any tree that age should have been tapering off.
Every year, he would bring a few bushels down to our store, where he sold them for $5/bushel. (Quite a bargain!) I still remember how it would fill the air with that amazing “feels like Fall” scent of ripe apples.
Aerial view of grandpa’s farm taken in the 1950’s that is hanging in our store today. The apple trees dad saved are in the foreground.
The problem is, they weren’t dwarf trees. You can pick from the ground if you have well-trimmed dwarf tree. But picking from a ladder is hard work, time consuming and dangerous. We soon learned the value of a pole fruit picker With our exclusive 9 foot long design, most adults can pick fruit that is up to 14’ high (about as high as most trees grow) with your feet securely on the ground!
Written by Galen Lehman, Proprietor of Lehman’s. Galen says, “I believe in a Simpler Life. It’s more rewarding. It’s honest and understandable. It helps me live more sustainably and be better prepared. A Simpler Life creates meaningful relationships with kin, companions and my community.”
