The aptly-named Apple Road intersects with County Road 12 in Preble Township at the "Million Dollar Bridge". Many local, and not-so-local, trout anglers know this spot at the South Fork Root River. If you take Apple Road some 2,300 feet north, you will cross a small culvert bridge over the river, and find yourself surrounded by a massive 1300-foot diameter horseshoe bluff rising 150 feet above the valley floor. You are at Big Woods Orchard -- owned and operated by Tom and Carol Wunderlich. The South Fork Root River circles the foot of horseshoe bluff.

Tom and Carol Wunderlich's log cabin and barns rest away from the water. Approaching the buildings, you notice the large "Big Woods Orchard" sign on the old barn. Just south of the barn and cabin, the land begins to slope steadily upward. On this 6 acres of rising land are 1,500 apple trees of several varieties – Zestar, Honeycrisp, Macintosh, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Fireside, Snowsweet and SweetTango. The trees are encircled by a 10 foot high fence to keep out deer. The apple orchard shows the clear signs of hard work and constant maintenance.

Tom and Carol started the orchard in 1999 with 100 dwarf trees. A decade later, there are 1,500 trees. The orchard became a mature fruit-bearing farm two years ago. For now, Tom and Carol live in Winona, where Tom owns and runs a large insurance agency with his brother, Robb. Tom travels the short distance from Winona to Preble Township most weekends and often in the late afternoons during the week to work in the orchard.

Tom and Carol pick the apples in the fall. Last year, the orchard produced 12,000 pounds of apples with most of the apples sold to the Winona Farmers Market, local food markets, and individuals. The Wunderlichs are concentrating on managing the growth of their trophy orchard. The marketing plan will come later.

But, the apple trees are not the only managed trees on their 96 acre property. For years, Tom produced corn, beans and other crops on his low-lying acreage near the river. But, increased flooding events ripped up the land and carried topsoil into the river. Fed up with losing topsoil to the river, Tom visited the local DNR conservation services office and worked with their foresters to retire the farmland from production. In 2003, the Wunderlichs participated in the DNR's Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program. Working with local DNR foresters, they planted 25 acres of native-species hardwood trees in a low-lying valley of their property along the river. They did not plant seedlings. They used a corn planter to drill in seeds. Now, those seeds are 10 foot high walnut, cherry, maple and oak saplings. With the inevitable next flood event, Tom expects to lose much less topsoil and will not suffer the deep gullies of the past.

During summer months, a few of neighbor Lowell Drinkall's brown swiss dairy cows wander down [more likely, trucked down] from the top of the bluff to graze on the Wunderlich pastureland next to the river. The cows' presence completes the pastoral setting of this quiet sheltered valley.

If you want apples in the fall, contact Tom Wunderlich at trwunderlich@charter.mi.net or 507-454-3348 for additional information.