Even though Rees Fruit Farm is open all year, 65 to 70 percent of their business happens in September and October. Perhaps the crisp autumn weather attracts visitors. Maybe it’s the awareness of winter’s approach when we all begin hibernating until spring’s arrival. For whatever reason, people come to Rees in the fall. Most of the time, it’s to buy apples, cider,
pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Oh, and of course, cider donuts.
“All of the fall stuff you can think of,” says owner Rex Rees. “It’s kind of like a fireworks stand or selling ice to the Eskimos. People are going to come out when they’re in the mood for fall.”
Autumn weekends at Rees also feature a concession stand offering fresh-made cider donuts and other apple-themed treats. A bonfire blazes in the parking lot, and a DJ plays music. Families can venture into the you-pick pumpkin patch looking for the perfect specimen for a seasonal decoration or spooky jack-o’-lantern.
Rees notes, “There are several pumpkin patches around that are more entertainment, which is cool, but I don’t have the petting zoo or the bouncy pillow. I don’t have the corn pit. Because I’m open year-round, it’s more retail trade than an event center.”
Rees Fruit Farm is the oldest commercial fruit farm in Kansas. Rees’s grandfather established the orchard in 1901. His dad had a North Topeka grocery business in the 1940s and 50. He also planted an orchard because of the need for local produce. In the late 1950s, he sold the grocery business to work full-time at the orchard.
Rees has about 15 different apple varieties. Apples, like all fruits and vegetables, mature at different times. October is when Golden Delicious and Red Delicious are ready to harvest. He also grows varieties such as Jonathan, Gala, Honey Crips, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Braeburn. What you find for sale depends on when you visit.
The farm is perhaps best known for its apple cider. Rees points out there’s no secret to cider because it’s all made the same way: Grind the apples up and squeeze the juice from the pulp. What changed over time is how the pulp gets squeezed. While an old-school press yields just two gallons per bushel, modern presses get between four and six gallons.
The farm has welcomed generations of visitors in the past 121 years. However, the future looks very different. Rees believes a large company will eventually make him an offer for the land to locate a business in Jefferson County, with its lower sales tax but still close enough to the population of Shawnee County.
“Here’s the big retirement plan for every orchard on the face of the Earth: Hang out long enough that the land becomes too valuable for you to farm,” Rees says. “There’s another [Rees] generation, but they’re smart enough to see how much work farming is, and some years it’s not all that profitable.”
The orchard and market are at the intersection of Highway 24 and K-4 to the northeast of Topeka. Visit their website, reesfruitfarm.com, for hours and a list of what’s in season. For the latest information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/reesfruitfarm.