New fruit orchard planted in rural Vergas - Detroit Lakes Tribune

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DETROIT LAKES — A new orchard has been planted on the rolling hills near Sybil Lake in Vergas and may open as soon as next year.

Dan and Amanda Modrow are the owners of Sybil Lake Orchard, which will offer apples, plums, pears and raspberries.

The fruit trees at Sybil Lake Orchard are tied to lines made of wire to shape the fruit tree branches. While some apples have grown this year, measures were taken to prevent most of the trees from a harvest.

Barbie Porter / Detroit Lakes Tribune

The 1999 Perham High School graduates started on the project last fall. First, the fence went up to prevent deer from entering the orchard.

During the planning phase, an expert was contacted to help pick the most hardy varieties, and fill in the little details to give the orchard the best chance at success.

Early this past spring, a tractor with an auger was used to dig 240 holes where the bare root trees were planted. A dozen varieties of apples, as well as pear and plum trees that can handle the hard winters will offer sweet and flavorful favorites, as well as baking apples.

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“Honey crisp is the most popular, so we planted 80 of them and plan to add 80 more,” Modrow said.

The smaller trees, known as dwarfs, grow up to 12 feet tall on average and produce fruit by age two. Modrow put those trees at the front of the orchard and created a temporary irrigation system using tubes and large water tanks.

He noted the semi-dwarf and standard trees are all hand watered, with five-gallon pails delivered to their trunks for daily drinks.

The semi-dwarf trees stand 15 feet tall when full-grown and begin producing fruit at three years, on average. The standard trees grow up to 25 feet and produce fruit by five years of age, on average.

As trees were being planted, Modrow hired a beekeeper to bring nine pallets of pollinators to the orchard.

Now or never moment arrives for Modrow

Dan Modrow and his wife Amanda hope to open Sybil Lake Orchard next year. The crop of apples, plums and pears will allow orchard visitors to pick their own fruit directly from the tree.

Barbie Porter / Detroit Lakes Tribune

“I had an idea for an orchard a long time ago,” Modrow said. “It was time to do it, or forget it. I always liked the idea of having something for families to do together. There is something more enjoyable about picking an apple from a tree, than from a produce bin at the store.”

The 43-year-old lives on the property his great grandparents owned. Parcels had been split up between the family, and some land was sold. The land where the orchard is located had been out of the Modrow family for several years.

“My dad had sold it when I was younger and I was fortunate to be able to buy it back,” Modrow said. “It’s hard to say if we will be open next year, or the year after. It depends on a few things, like if there is an early frost.”

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Modrow said he has already decided to double the crop and create an orchard totaling 2.5 acres, so that once they open, there will be plenty of fresh fruit for everyone.

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