Pick Pumpkins, Apples: Keller’s Farmstand Celebrates 30 Years

OSWEGO, IL — September not only marks the start of cooler weather and colorful trees, but also the emergence of apple-picking and pumpkin patch season. For Keller's Farmstand, this season, expected to be in full bloom on Sept. 11, marks the business's 30th anniversary.

Keller's Farmstand has been around for 30 years, but the family, who came from Germany, has been farming for five generations. It's in Plainfield where his father and uncle still do grain farming all these years later.

When Adam Keller first came to America in the mid-1800s, he purchased land along River Road in Naperville, which is where he started farming a variety of crops, from potatoes to grapes and raspberries, in 1852, the Farmstand's website reads.

In 1991, Frank Keller IV returned from the Peace Corps and realized there wasn't enough farmland for him to join his father and uncle as a full partner in the business. From there, he decided to open the Farmstands — first in Naperville in 1991, followed by a Plainfield location in 1993 and the Oswego Farmstand in 2007.

The Oswego Farmstand might be the most recently opened location, but it's the biggest of the three, with thousands of apple trees in the orchard and a pumpkin patch.

Most of the family is involved "in one way or another," according to Martha Abel, Frank's sister, who has been managing the Naperville Farmstand and fall festivities since 1999.

"I know a lot of families don't get along, and we tell ourselves over and over how fortunate we are that we all like each other," Abel told Patch, laughing. "That's kind of rare."

Abel said nothing big is planned yet for the 30th anniversary, but they've had various 30-cent vegetable deals throughout the season iin celebration.

"I think everyone is just so busy," she said. "When it’s a family business, you work seven days a week." On top of that, they're "just trying to make it through the pandemic and the new school year, the up and down weather."

But with fall almost upon Illinoisans, festivities at the Oswego location are kicking off Sept. 11 and will take place each weekend. Farm-goers can visit the 8-acre corn maze and animal barn — kids can also hang out in a large play area — on weekends only, "that way we can have it be bigger and more things to do and plenty of staff," Abel said.

The apple orchard and pumpkin patch, on the other hand, will be open weekdays as well. At the bakery, customers can indulge in homemade apple cider donuts and apple cider slushies, among the usual assortment of snacks, including hot dogs and nachos.

"Between the temperature and the fall beauty, oh my gosh, I’m so ready," Abel said. "Because we have so many trees on the farm, you get that beautiful show."

During the summer, Keller's opens a sunflower field, but now that the season has passed, the apple orchard opened Aug. 13. Abel said the focus is more on apple picking in September, but come October, the pumpkin patch will be bustling as well.

Some of the apples Keller's grows in Oswego include Zestar, Ginger Gold, Wealthy and Blondee apples. Honeycrisp apples, for example, are typically ready in the middle of September, Abel said.

"It depends on the weather," Abel said of apple harvesting times. "If we get a big cool down, that could slow it down. If we have a heatwave, that could speed it up, so we go out and we check apples all the time to see when they're ready. The second we feel it's time to open up a row or variety, we sure will."

Like many businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Keller's Farmstand has had its share of staffing struggles. They fully open in a week and are still hiring for the Oswego Farmstand for the fall, according to Abel, who said applications — which can be found at any of the three locations — aren't coming in as they did in previous years.

As a manager, she said something she keeps in mind when staffing is the possibility of an outbreak, where if one person tests positive for coronavirus, whoever came into contact with them would also have to take the appropriate time to quarantine.

But as a farm, people can work outdoors and be far enough from others that worries might be mitigated, she said. To keep a tab on how many people are on the farm, advanced tickets, which can be purchased online, are required for the weekend activities, but not for apple and pumpkin picking or farmstand shopping.

"If you’re outside, you’re hanging out with the family, people are laughing, people are having a good time, the weather is better and you’re completely outside in fresh air. Let alone times of COVID, that’s still a great place to be," Abel said.

The Farmstand is currently open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the weekend activities — running through Oct. 30 — costs $13 per wristband per person, and visits will be limited to two hours.

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