Welcome to Bur Oak Farm, an orchard located in Madison County, Iowa, named for the naturally growing stand of burr oak along with shagbark hickory and others. Since trees grow well here, and Bill likes fruit, planting fruit trees seemed like the thing to do. After several seasons of planting and more trees on the way, Kathleen wondered what was to be done with all the fruit - thus an orchard was born!
We are both retired from chosen professions and appreciate the assistance of several part time employees and sometimes family members. Overseeing the whole operation are several others . Teddy Bear, a mixed breed, and Princess, a golden retriever, seldom say much when someone arrives, but give way to riotous barking when people leave. Teddy often checks out the planting operations to see if we are doing it correctly. The feline group usually wants to be fed and/or petted if they are tame. Some aren’t. The ladies and gentlemen of Burr Oak are our flock of laying hens and roosters.
They are pest control in disguise and have free range of the orchard to eat pests and fallen fruit which can harbor disease if not cleaned up. Their wonderful eggs have very golden yolks and colorful shells of brown, pinkish, white, and shades of green. Other common sights/sounds are the many birds, butterflies, and bees. We are not organic but know that all parts of the environment must work together. We are truly blessed to live in this beauty.
