Michaela Handke/ Winonan

The start of October, plunging into autumn, has kicked off the beginning of the fall madness and obsession for apple cider, apple crisp and apple pie.

Available for the exploitation of these apple cravings is Ferguson’s Apple Orchard.

The Ferguson orchards are located in three different branches that make up their business.  The locations include: Galesville and Eau Claire, Wis., along with a retail store in Lake City, Minn.

The start of the Ferguson legacy began at the Galesville orchard. The orchard was originally named Kaste’s Morningside Orchard. Instead of changing the name completely, they tweaked it, now called Ferguson’s Morningside Orchard.

The Galesville orchard first began its operation in the 1800s and, since then, has been selling apples to the Winona area and its community members.

The Ferguson family, comprised of Tom, Deb and their three children, took over the orchard in 2001 when they traveled back to Minnesota after living on the west coast and other parts of the country. They noticed the farm was for sale and after having dreams of becoming farmers they decided to have this dream become a reality. After contacting the realtor, The Ferguson’s Morningside Orchard was born. They continued the chain by adding another orchard and store to their business.

The Lake City addition was opened in 2010 and offers the apples that are harvested at both the Eau Claire and the Galesville orchards.

The Eau Claire orchard has not only been known as an apple pickers fantasy but also as a place to have a wedding.

This branch of the orchard business was first owned by the Lee Minton family and at that time called Eau Claire Orchards.

In 2011 the Ferguson family chose to add yet another location to their business.

Galesville, the farm closest to Winona, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, to the beginning of November.

Mellissa Hodges Howes, a visitor of the orchard said her favorite thing about the orchard was “picking apples with my kids straight off the trees.”

The Fergusons offer a variety of apples to pick and activities to enjoy with the family.

Kelly Hoff, a senior at Riverway Learning Community, said the day she went to the orchard “was perfect because there were no bees and the temperature was perfect. It was a great day and a great place to take pictures.”

Amy Gregory, a student at Minnesota State College Southeast Technical, enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere of Ferguson’s orchard.

“It was great seeing all the little kids having the time of their lives. Or their caramel apples. It was a really good family oriented place to be,” she said.

A $5 admission into the orchard allows you to walk around the orchard as well as go through the corn maze, go to their petting zoo, visit the “Rotten Apple Jail” and other activities available on the farm.

Jillian Foss, a seventh grader at Riverway Learning Community, said, “It’s amazing because there’s a corn maze, apple ride, hay wagon ride, a petting zoo and there was a lot of apple trees and pumpkins you can choose from.”