For decades, Fort Dodge residents and visitors from all over the region have come to the Community Orchard to usher in the fall season, an annual tradition. Emily Stucky has many memories of visiting the orchard throughout her childhood.

“I came here every AppleFest,” she said.

Later, as a mom of three, she’d been bringing her kids.

Her favorite memories include getting to pick her own pumpkins each year and checking out the different attractions set up around the property.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Denny and Emily Stucky, owners of the Community Orchard, teamed up with Soldier Creek Winery to create two wines using the orchard's apple cider. The new wines are named after the orchard's original owners -- Dr. Paul Otto and his wife Edna. The Ottos opened the Community Orchard in 1952.

“Do you remember the ‘dark hole’?” Emily Stucky asked. “It was that dark maze in that barn over there. They haven’t had that for a while.”

The Stuckys are planning to bring the darkened maze back, but maybe make it a little less scary for the younger children.

Knowing that so many other families from the area share the same memories from over the years is what brings this all together for the Stuckys.

“There are generations of memories,” Denny Stucky said.

For the most part, the Community Orchard looks like the same Fort Dodge institution it has been for much of the last seven decades. The Stuckys aren’t looking at changing very much — just maybe adding some new things.

Something new that will be joining the shelves at the orchard’s shop are some locally-made adult beverages that pay homage to the orchard’s roots. The Stuckys partnered with Soldier Creek Winery to use the orchard’s cider to make two different wines.

The carbonated blend of apple and grape wines is called Doc Otto’s, in honor of the orchard’s founder Dr. Paul Otto, who started the orchard in 1952 with his wife, Edna. The sweet rose wine gives a nod to his wife and is called Edna’s Ambrosia.

The Stuckys said they’ve been slow to roll out these new products because this first production of them was limited.

“I’m worried there’s not going to be enough,” Emily Stucky said. “It takes a lot of cider.”

She said that once they produce more cider, they plan to do more productions of the wines.

They’ve also added to the Orchard Cafe’s menu, including a new apple cider donut using the orchard’s cider, as well as a strawberry streusel and a blueberry streusel.

Denny Stucky is making some changes to the orchard itself, using new technology that allows trees to be planted more densely so he can plant more trees per acre and increase the orchard’s crop yield.