Picking Arkansas strawberries on a balmy spring day is a beautiful thing. It reaffirms that life is indeed good. Many ripe, juicy berries never make it into the harvest basket, popping right into a happy mouth instead. To pick strawberries as a child plants a happy memory that many want to relive whenever possible. Introducing a new generation to this simple joy is passing along a secret that that life is full of simple pleasures if you know where to look. A strawberry patch is always a good place to look.
In northwest Arkansas, there are a few patches around, offering tasty memories for the picking. Appel Farms is located in Elm Springs, not far off I-49. Travis Appel grew up on the land there, living in the classic ranch style home and playing in the pasture. Travis helped with the family vegetable garden. Travis roamed what was then the undeveloped land surrounding the farm, enjoying the outdoors. He has those “Arkansas kid” memories that typically breed a generational love for the land, growing things, and country life.
Travis joined the Marines and served his country before returning to Springdale in 2012 with his wife Ashley, also from northwest Arkansas. He completed a Horticulture degree at the University of Arkansas. His initial interest was in turf, intending to work with golf courses. Then he interned with his future mentor, local farmer David Dickey, who introduced him to a new passion for specialty crop farming.
After the internship, Travis planted a half-acre of strawberries behind the family home. With about fourteen thousand plants in the ground, Appel Farms was born, offering a U-pick crop to the public that spring. The operation grew from there and is still growing, along with the Appel family. There are now three little Appels running around on the same land traversed by their dad as a child.
Appel Farms now has 10 acres in production, offering both strawberries and pumpkins for the picking. There are vegetables, chickens, and pigs in the pasture. The old family home is now a commercial kitchen with a small dining space and a little produce shop. Events, such as a Mother’s Day Brunch, punctate the season and create new traditions for many. There are plans for future expansion, like a patio and brick pizza oven. Guests will pick fresh veggies for their pizza and cook it on the spot. The Appels would like to increase the commercial kitchen’s use with more dining options at the farm. Promotion of the eggs and pork is a priority as well.
Travis’s horticulture knowledge found a perfect small-business complement in Ashley’s career accounting skills. She also has a natural gift for social media promotion, keeping the community informed about farm events through frequent posts. Her adorable photos feature the kids playing, piglets, pumpkins, dinner prepped from the harvest, and other glimpses of farm life. There is an implied “Y’all come!” with each that engages visitors with genuine Arkansas hospitality. As a result, many families in the region have fallen in love with Appel Farms, and the simple experiences offered there. Ashley enjoys developing relationships with their guests and customers, making many friends. “They trust us. That means a lot,” she says, referring to both the quality of the farm’s production and the experience of visiting.
That commitment to providing high-quality products is job one for the Appels. They focus on quality over quantity in their farming methods. “The rocky soil adds complexity to the flavor of the strawberries,” says Travis. “Everything we grow should taste better than what’s at the store.” The production is sold on the farm, direct to customers, with a bit sold at the farmers market.
When asked about advice they might offer aspiring farmers, Travis recommends reaching out and utilizing the resources available. The Appels found several valuable organizations when they were getting started, including NCAT Armed to Farm, which offers sustainable agriculture training for military veterans. Appel Farms is now a host for the program, training others. They also host apprentices for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food.
Appel Farms has a lot going on for a tiny little farm in the heart of a thriving, growing metro area. Both Ashley and Travis work full time on the farm now. The couple says their favorite thing about farm life is being together as a family. Their children are growing up on the farm. Something that is increasingly less commonplace in northwest Arkansas and matters to them. Training farm apprentices is a way to pass along the lifestyle to others and their families.
It’s easy to see that Appel Farms is producing more than just a quality local food harvest. The Appels are providing the region with their genuine brand of warmth and an Arkansas cultural experience. By turning their small farm lifestyle into an agritourism business, others get a glimpse of what was once prevalent throughout the state. It could be said that Appel Farms is doing its part to preserve and share a beloved example of Arkansas farm culture and heritage.
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