WR Orchard

WR Orchard Family-owned orchard in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Home of WR Chestnuts.

Sharing the journey of growing trees, improving wildlife habitat, stewarding the land, and building traditions for future generations.

We now have hats for sale! These are really nice Richardson 115's done by: https://stitchrebellion.com/ Message me if yo...
08/06/2026

We now have hats for sale! These are really nice Richardson 115's done by: https://stitchrebellion.com/

Message me if you would like to purchase one!!

One of the questions we get asked is, "How do you start an orchard?"The answer is that there isn't a perfect roadmap.You...
07/27/2026

One of the questions we get asked is, "How do you start an orchard?"

The answer is that there isn't a perfect roadmap.

You start with a vision of what you want to create. You spend countless hours planning, researching, and imagining what it could be.

But eventually there comes a point where you have to stop planning and simply plant the first trees.

Since then, we've been learning as we go. Some ideas have worked exactly as we hoped, while others have taught us to adapt. Every season brings something new to learn, and every project brings the orchard one step closer to the vision we had when we first started.

There are still plenty of projects ahead, but that's part of the journey. For now, we're just focused on putting in the work, caring for each tree, and continuing to build WR Orchard one season at a time.

"And if you don't do it now, you'll only be one year older when you do."
— Reckless Kelly

🍎 Big Things Start Small.Tonight, while working in the orchard, we noticed the first apples beginning to develop on a fe...
07/08/2026

🍎 Big Things Start Small.

Tonight, while working in the orchard, we noticed the first apples beginning to develop on a few of our young trees.

It's only a handful of apples, but it's exciting to see another sign that the years of planning, planting, and caring for the orchard are beginning to come together.

This season has also brought a few exciting milestones. We launched the WR Orchard page to share our journey, and now we're excited to launch our first WR Orchard merchandise. It's another step forward and a way for those who have followed our journey to represent WR Orchard and help support its continued growth.

As you can see, my son was pretty proud to show off one of our first WR Orchard stickers on the wooden CRKT knife kit we built together.

Our first WR Orchard stickers and shirts are now available through our Sticker Mule store for anyone who would like to support WR Orchard and represent the brand as we continue to grow.

Most importantly, thank you to everyone who has recently started following our page. We truly appreciate every like, comment, share, and word of encouragement. Your support means a great deal as we continue building WR Orchard.

If you enjoy following our journey, please like, follow, and share our page to help others discover WR Orchard.

Trees to Traditions. 🍎

How an Orchard BeginsWe've been asked a lot about what our property is becoming and what our plans are for it, so we tho...
07/06/2026

How an Orchard Begins

We've been asked a lot about what our property is becoming and what our plans are for it, so we thought we'd share a little of the story behind WR Orchard.

Before we ever owned this property, we had already planted eight chestnut trees at our home. Owning a piece of land where we could someday build an orchard had always been a dream of ours. Those trees gave us the opportunity to start learning about growing chestnuts and caring for trees long before we found the property that would become WR Orchard.

When Dana and I purchased what had previously been agricultural land in Eaton Rapids, we knew it would take years to become what we envisioned. We wanted a place for Dana's horses, a place to hunt and enjoy the outdoors, and enough room to continue planting trees and taking on new projects.

Since then, we've built a barn, established horse pasture, planted hundreds of trees for wildlife habitat, created food plots, and spent countless weekends improving the property one project at a time.

As the property continued to take shape, so did the vision for WR Orchard.

Today, we're establishing a heritage apple orchard alongside WR Chestnuts. The goal is to grow quality nursery stock, preserve heritage fruit varieties, and continue building a place centered around stewardship, conservation, and sharing what we learn along the way.

There's still a lot of work ahead, but that's part of the journey. Every tree we plant and every project we complete brings us one step closer to the vision we had when we first walked this property.

In our next post, we'll share one of the most fascinating parts of growing apples—grafting—and why nearly every apple tree begins with two different trees becoming one.

WR Orchard

Trees to Traditions.

When Trees "Explode"If you followed the adventures of British YouTubers Josh and Jase while they were here visiting Mich...
07/03/2026

When Trees "Explode"

If you followed the adventures of British YouTubers Josh and Jase while they were here visiting Michigan, you may remember them joking about trees "exploding" during the cold snap.

As strange as it sounds, there is actually some truth behind those stories.

During periods of extreme cold, especially when temperatures fluctuate rapidly, the outer layers of a tree can expand and contract at different rates than the wood beneath them. The resulting stress can cause frost cracks, bark splitting, branch tip dieback, and other forms of winter injury.

Some trees are more susceptible than others, particularly younger trees, thin-barked species, and trees exposed to direct winter sunlight. Frost cracks are often found on the south or southwest side of the trunk, where daytime warming is followed by rapid cooling after sunset.

Historically, foresters often referred to frost cracks as "frost seams." If you picked up an old forestry report from the early 1900s, you might find references to a tree "showing an old frost seam" rather than a frost crack. The term has largely disappeared from everyday use but was once common among foresters and timber cruisers.

Historically, orchardists also painted tree trunks with a diluted white latex paint mixture to reflect sunlight and reduce temperature fluctuations during winter. The practice is still used today on some young orchard trees.

A few of our older chestnut trees showed signs of winter injury this year, including branch tip dieback and frost seams on the trunk. While the damage looked concerning this spring, most of the affected trees appear to be recovering well with healthy foliage, strong growth, and new callus tissue forming around the damaged areas.

Have you ever seen frost cracks, frost seams, winter dieback, or bark splitting on trees where you live? Share a photo in the comments and let us know what species was affected. We'd love to see examples from other properties and compare notes from across Michigan and beyond.

WR Chestnuts
Heritage. Rooted. Timeless.

Where It All BeganBefore WR Orchard, before WR Chestnuts, and before we owned the property where the orchard is located ...
07/01/2026

Where It All Began

Before WR Orchard, before WR Chestnuts, and before we owned the property where the orchard is located today, we planted eight chestnut trees at our home.

Through hunting, I have always tried to learn more about wildlife habitat and ways to improve the land for the animals that use it. At the time, I was spending a lot of time learning about habitat improvement, planting trees, and taking on landscaping and habitat projects whenever I had the opportunity.

Those eight chestnut trees were planted because I believed they could provide long-term value for wildlife and the land.

Over the years, that interest continued to grow. What started with eight chestnut trees eventually led to the chestnut orchard, greenhouse propagation, and the establishment of WR Chestnuts.

Today, those original trees are still growing and producing. Looking back, it's interesting to see how much has grown from those first eight trees.

WR Chestnuts

Heritage. Rooted. Timeless.

Address

5327 Ferris Road
Eaton Rapids, MI
48827

Telephone

+15178982282

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when WR Orchard posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to WR Orchard:

Shortcuts

Share

Category