While commercial orchards rely on heavy harvesting machinery to shake trees, this local favorite in Sullivan maintains its strict tradition of personal care.

SULLIVAN, Ill. (WAND) — Workers at Okaw Valley Orchard pull every single Gala apple by hand.

While commercial orchards rely on heavy harvesting machinery to shake trees, this local favorite in Sullivan maintains its strict tradition of personal care. Pickers carefully place each apple into carts, protecting the fruit from bruises before it ever reaches a customer.

The Mitchell family grows over 40 varieties of apples on the property. This season, co-owner Jennifer Mitchell highlighted a brand-new addition to their lineup: the Luda-Crisp, an apple that delivers a sharp, tart crunch followed immediately by a sweet, tropical finish.

Summer storms brought heavy hail that damaged some of the crop, but co-owner Mike Mitchell refused to let the weather spoil the season. Mitchell and his team aggressively sorted the harvest, saving 50% of the impacted apples and divided them into dedicated piles for specialized products:

  • The Bakery Pile: Kitchen staff transform these apples into traditional orchard treats like dumplings, fritters, pies and applesauce.
  • The Cider Pile: Apples are squeezed into the orchard’s signature cider.
  • The Market Stand: Undamaged apples go straight to the shelves alongside their homemade doughnuts.

The orchard also serves fresh, blended fruit smoothies. 

Families visiting the orchard can enjoy U-Pick harvesting days, educational school tours and a playground.

The orchard officially kicks off its fall season on Labor Day. 

More information on the orchard is available online. 

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