Our Story

As most stories do, ours started with a simple dream. Just a tiny seed at first, Brandt started yearning for a little piece of land to call his own, from which to grow a crop and a livelihood, just as his father and grandfathers had done before him. We had been living out in Fort Collins, Colorado having a grand adventure of hiking, learning to ski, and falling in love with the mountains. But we soon became tired of the hustle and bustle of the busy city, and that tiny seed of a dream started to blossom. We read, researched, and volunteered to get ideas...and the dream started to take shape, until at last we were ready to put it into action. It was now our dream, and together we took a leap of faith. We packed up our vehicle with our bags and our dog, Creedence, and headed back to our roots in the Midwest (born and raised in rural Illinois). On our hunt for land in Missouri, we were blessed enough to stumble upon Binder's Apples and Alpacas, and had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Sandy, the hardest working woman on this side of the Mississippi! Whether you call it fate, God's plan, serendipity, or just plain luck...we were able to purchase Sandy's apple orchard in October 2017 and start our dream 10 years ahead of Brandt's original business plan, with the help, love, and support of our families.

Opened in the Fall of 2018, as Hickory Ridge Orchard, we are excited to open a new chapter for the orchard, and expand on the amazing story that Sandy began writing in 1993 when she planted the first apple trees on the property. We are so grateful to Sandy for establishing this amazing place, and for sharing her knowledge and wisdom with us. We thank you for inviting us into the community, and now we invite you on our journey, as we navigate our way together through this newest adventure!

Brandt & Kelsey Schisler