A Bit Of History About The Orchard And Us
  From August through early November, the Griffith family welcomes you to share the fall harvest at Door Creek Orchard. We hope your visit will bring you closer to the land and help you appreciate the beauty, bounty, and diversity of the southern Wisconsin countryside.
  The orchard itself sits on two sites in the middle of what once was a typical Norwegian-American dairy farm dating back to the early 1800's. The farmhouse, dating to 1860, still remains and has sheltered our family since the orchard opened its doors in 1985. What isn't orchard is composed of Door Creek wetland, rolling fields and woodlands.		   In addition to wonderful fall fruit and cider, we provide our customers with a quiet place to enjoy nature, a harvest experience, and an escape from the pressure of fast-paced urban life. We are less than 10 minutes from Madison and a little over 1 hour from Milwaukee, yet visitors frequently express that they have "gotten away".
  Our agricultural philosophy rests strongly on a foundation of sustainable farming and integrated pest management. Our family-run orchard strives to produce quality and healthful crops with minimum environmental impact.
  Each fall we look forward to sharing Door Creek Orchard with you. Please treat our land and our crops with the same respect that we do, and they will be here for your enjoyment for many years to come. You have all helped to make this a special place.

Come visit us and crunch into a fresh Door Creek apple!
Experience the Wisconsin harvest!
               
Grapes
  On the hill above the barn we have a small vineyard in which assorted varieties of table and wine grapes are growing. Grapes are usually sold pick-your-own.
 
Raspberries
  Starting in August our fall bearing raspberries begin to ripen. We presently grow Heritage, Goldie, Polana, Autumn, Britten, Caroline and Kiwi Gold varieties. It is advisable to call ahead for availability, as website updates may not occur fast enough to reflect supply. Raspberries are sold pick-your-own only.
 
Apples
  We know that the methods we use to grow food impact the environment of our entire community. Thus, we are committed to raising healthful, fine-tasting fruit with a minimum amount of spray. To do this, we practice integrated pest management (IPM), use alternate middle row applications when appropriate, and have a willingness to take some risks with our crop.
  In Wisconsin we have found it inadvisable to raise most commercial fruit crops, especially apples, using completely "organic"methods. In our opinion, strict adoption of organic practices may cause greater environmental disruption than a cautious IPM approach.
  For current information about this season's spray schedule, please contact the orchard.
   
Cider
  Our apple cider consists entirely of the juice of fresh-picked and carefully washed Door Creek apples. During the season from early September to early November we attempt to blend the flavors of different varieties to give you a full bodied, rich sample of fresh apple cider. The usual trend from season's beginning is to move from a tart light blend to a season's ending rich, sweet full bodied blend. Combining the characteristics of many unique different varieties has helped to make our cider special.
  We add nothing to our juice, including preservatives, so it must be kept refrigerated and consumed within approximately two weeks from the date of purchase or it will ferment.
  Because of the recent concern regarding the bacteria E. Coli in unpasteurized juice, we have added a sanitizing step in our apple washing preparation. In addition to sanitization, drops are not used in our cider making.
  For people with compromised immune systems or for very young children we recommend heating our cider to at least 160 degrees for 16 seconds or more before consumption. Presently, the risk of E. coli related illness from the consumption of properly pressed unpasteurized cider is extremely low. Those who want no risk should buy pasteurized juice or follow the heating instructions detailed above.
  We apologize for the times when we run out of cider, but as we are a small orchard, it is sometimes hard to keep up with demand.