A Mexico family is hoping to use their love of music to help grow their business Hickory Ridge Orchard.
Brandt Schisler and his wife Kelsey moved to Mexico six years ago and purchased the …
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A Mexico family is hoping to use their love of music to help grow their business Hickory Ridge Orchard.
Brandt Schisler and his wife Kelsey moved to Mexico six years ago and purchased the orchard just outside of town. The orchard has a general store with products from the orchard including cider, jams and salsas.
For the second fall in a row the Orchard has also hosted a ukulele festival with the help of Mexico Music Store owner David Reetz and his ukulele students and connections. The two started talking last year and the festival was born.
“I didn’t know what to expect last year when we had the first one,” Schisler said. “Last year we had a wonderful turnout and this year we had a good turnout as well.”
Schisler said he’s already seen the benefit to the orchard.
“It’s brought people who would not typically come out to the orchard because maybe their children are part of the ukulele groups across the state or maybe there’s a band that was invited that had never been out there,” Schisler said. “I feel like it’s drawn from all kinds of walks of life. While they’re there they enjoy the orchard and go tell their friends. It’s been very beneficial for us.”
Schisler struck up a friendship with Reetz because they both love music. The Schisler's have traveled to bluegrass festivals before coming to Missouri from Colorado and began attending them here as well.
“We thought it would be a pretty cool thing if we had some sort of bluegrass festival out (at the orchard) and as long as we keep doing the ukulele festival and let it keep growing organically maybe someday we will have some,” Schisler said.
Schisler said most of the products in the general store are made at the orchard and most everyone can find something they’ll like.
“We really put some effort into everything we do,” Schisler said. “For the people who come out and have been out, I think they see that.”
In the six years the Schislers have owned the orchard they have planted more than 2,500 apple trees and have plans to plant 1,500 more. Schisler said the trees that have been planted are not even in production yet.
“We’re really kind of just getting started,” Schisler said. “With all good things, it just takes time.”
