Musgrave Orchard

I wanted to purchase spaghetti squash, a couple gallons of cider and some vegetables. But alas, they only take cash or check, which I found out at the cashier. So, I awkwardly put the items back on the shelves and scrounged to find $ 2.50 for the apples and caramel already ordered. Musgrave, here is the link to square,
.
You will make more money.

It’s great to finally be able to visit! It’s a short walk from the house. They have a nice selection of local apples-​and they don’t use pesticides!

As soon as we walked up toward the door, our friend said «Someone at work told me this place used to be a lot better.» I can only hope that that’s true.
It’s one thing if you have a sad little shack at the front of a sad orchard, made sadder by being surrounded by a housing development. But the people here are kind of awful. My wife overheard the owner yelling «Stop knocking sh*t around» at someone’s kid. And then I didn’t do something right when I tried to pay for my $ 1 sample and got this awkward sort of half-​joking lambaste that made me want to leave right then. Before that, I had thought about buying something. Maybe some cider, maybe a few apples. The cider is not that good, but you can at least sample its mediocre glory for $ 1 for a small cup. Don’t try paying at the back where they actually pour the cider though and, for god’s sakes, don’t try paying with a credit card.
And I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned the bees. Jesus, there are a lot of bees. All over the store, aggressively trying to see if you have something sugary. Pull out those day-​plus-​old donuts that they sell for a huge markup and expect at least three of them to harass you.
The donuts are from Rainbo in town, and that sets the tone for most of what you’ll find here: someone elses stuff. I don’t think the pumpkins are theirs, they sell Dillman’s fruit spreads, an Indiana candy company’s items, and I would not be surprised that their apples are not actually theirs. The apples that were on the trees when we went looked like the type a witch might give you.
If there’s any plus, this is a really pretty drive from town. But if you want something overpriced, of poor quality and locally-​produced, Butler Winery is close by.
This is typical Bloomington for me though: something that should be charming and endearing is ruined by the people running it. If you don’t like being around people, then don’t run a store. Just run your orchard slowly into the ground and leave the tourists out of it.

Apparently I missed out on a vital part of childhood. Most midwesterners fondly recall family outings at the apple orchard; eating freshly baked apple goods, strolling through the trees, and the undeniably fresh selection of apples ready to be taken home. The closest memory I have to that is the Dole Pineapple plantation… GO AHEAD AND MAKE FUN OF ME, SO TYPICAL HAWAII RIGHT? anyways, my friends and I decided to check out this apple orchard after driving by it so many times on 37. On arrival, we were the only customers inside, which was actually really nice. The owner was pleasant, poured us freshly pressed warm apple cider, and told us about the small loop trail that circled the orchard. The trail is beautiful, we came around sunset and took pictures. There is a little horse field too, where we got to pet horses and such.
The market had a great selection of apples and apple products including pies, some of the BEST cider, and jams, along with other local goods like honey, pumpkins, soaps, and candles. One of my favorite purchases was a mini apple roast pork pie, which used exclusively local ingredients. Everything in the store was fairly priced, and with it’s location being so close to school, I’ll definitely be back for more.

I’ve lived in Bloomington for 12 years, and for 12 years as I drove up 37 I would pass by their big sign and think that I should really check them out. Well finally I did, and I was most pleased. They had fresh cider available pressed that very morning, a good selections of apples, pumpkins, and other harvest kitch. The prices were very reasonable versus say Hubers down by Louisville which is a bit more commercial. We just made a quick stop, but it looked like a great spot to bring the kids and hang out for a spell.

I have seen a road sign for this orchard every time I drive to or from Bloomington, and one day I finally checked it out. It’s off the beaten path, and down a windy road off of 37. When you don’t know where you’re going, sometimes distances feel a lot longer than they really are — don’t be discouraged by the drive — it’s really only a couple of minutes.
We got there at the very end of the day. It is a small house-​like structure with orchards out back. We didn’t get to walk around the orchards, just the store. We had some of their fresh apple cider (pressed the day we were there) and it was pretty good.
The best part was the view off of their side balcony overlooking the orchard at sunset. We got some very nice pictures there!
The woman who was minding the store had her three kids with her (from 8 years old to a baby in a car seat), all well-​behaved and gave the place a family feel.
It’s worth a stop if you’re a big cider fan like me, and enjoy a break in the monotonous drive from Bloomington to Indy.