Core Equipment

When a business relies on equipment to get work done, having the right machines on hand can make or break a successful day in the field. This is especially true in agricultural applications, where owners depend on tractors and other heavy-duty equipment to nurture their land. At McClure’s Orchard, a family-owned and operated apple farm in Peru, Ind., a pair of hard-working tractors help keep business running smoothly and open for visitors.

“Our KIOTI tractors are very user friendly and help us do just about everything,” says Paige McClure, co-owner of McClure’s Orchard. “I can go into the barn and pull my tractor out easily. It maneuvers well and it fits into small spaces. If there’s something too heavy for me to lift, my tractor is my muscle.”

McClure’s Orchard first began as an overgrown field complete with barren apple trees and 6-ft tall grass. The orchard itself had been around for more than 100 years when the family purchased it in the fall of 1998. The McClures worked diligently on the land, breathing new life into the landscape and reopened the business one year later.     

During the renovation, the family established an apple barn on the farm dedicated to apple production and storage. Today, the barn houses all the apples and apple product the family sells such as jellies, jams and cider. Besides basic apple production, the McClures recently finished off an area for wine-making in the barn after receiving its farm winery permit. In addition to the apple barn, McClure’s Orchard boasts a restaurant, year-round Christmas store and petting zoo. Since apples are only available during a small portion of the year, the family uses these other attractions to keep the farm open to the public all year long.

“We try to do as much as we can with all of the apples,” says McClure. “We serve as much apple product as we can at the restaurant — applesauce, apple crisp, apple pie and apple dumplings. The petting zoo is open all the time. We also have a play area and sell perennials in the spring and summer. We have worked hard to make the orchard a year-round destination as opposed to just a seasonal one.”

Between the different sightseeing opportunities at the orchard, there’s plenty of work to be done. Tasks around the farm are divided up among five full-time employees, including Paige, her husband, Jerry, and their son, Jason. Since the apple barn is always busy, one employee is there working continuously. When the restaurant is opened, Paige splits her time between cooking and manning the barn. Jason works in the orchard, trimming trees and tending to the new wine venture. Jerry, who also works another full-time job, sprays the trees and makes the apple cider. Two other women round out the crew, taking care of the barn and other miscellaneous jobs.

“We all lend a hand around the farm,” explains McClure. “If the restaurant is busy or we need someone in the barn, we all help out and do what we need. I may call Jason in the middle of the day and say ‘We need you to wash dishes at the restaurant.’ Everyone helps do everything.”  

Bushels of Productivity

To keep the orchard maintained, the McClures use a variety of equipment for their farm duties such as tractors, attachments and zero-turn mowers. When the family first bought the property, they purchased some older equipment at auction to get started. Two years ago, they bought a KIOTI DK55 to add some big muscle to the orchard. A year later, they added a pink KIOTI KL130 with hydrostat to the fleet — a tractor that Paige finds perfect for her needs and skill level.

“I can do a lot of chores around here that the guys never have time for with a machine that I feel comfortable riding,” says McClure. “Last year, we had a garden show out here and Lyle Woods from Off-Duty Ranch in Peru, brought some tractors and I tried out the KIOTI KL130. The machine has the hydrostat feature that makes it easy for me to use. I can just hop on the tractor, feel safe with the controls and get to work.”

With plenty of chores to complete around the orchard, McClure relies on her KL130 to help tackle the tasks. The tractor, paired with a standard bucket, keeps McClure productive throughout the day.

“I use my tractor for just about everything,” explains McClure. “If I’m weeding, I pull the tractor up, toss everything into the bucket and haul it to the compost pile. If I need to move plants or other materials, I can just load it up and take it to where I need to go. It’s like my big wheelbarrow.”

As for the unique color choice, McClure thought the shade would keep her machine strictly “girls only.” Since McClure’s husband and son take turns on the larger DK55, Paige wanted a machine made just for her in a color that she loved. After getting the machine, McClure decided to put “In Loving Memory of My Mom” and various breast cancer awareness symbols on it, in remembrance of her mother who passed away from the disease five years ago. Although the tractor wasn’t ordered specifically for her mom, McClure thought she would have loved the color and always enjoyed the orchard when she was alive.

“We used the tractor in a parade last summer and ever since people have just loved it,” says McClure. “We keep it out in our parking lot and everyone wants to sit on it and get their picture taken. We’ve been to some different fundraisers where money is being raised for breast cancer. Being able to use the tractor both on and off the field has really been a neat experience.”

While Paige mainly works with a bucket on her tractor, the men of the family opt to use a variety of attachments on the DK55. Aside from a standard bucket, Jerry and Jason rely on a grapple bucket to help around the farm. They also use an auger to assist in digging holes to plant trees around the orchard.

“We trim trees all winter and toss the limbs around the field,” says McClure. “The guys use that grapple bucket just like a jaw to pick up all the limbs and move them into a pile.”

Service and Support

Since the McClures rely on their equipment to keep their business running, keeping the machines working properly is especially important. A thorough maintenance regimen and yearly dealer visits helps the family take care of their machines and extend their productivity.

“We do routine maintenance on our tractors all the time,” says McClure. “After we use our tractors, we spray them down to get all of the mud off and keep them clean. We also have the tractors serviced annually by our KIOTI dealer [Lyle Woods], where he goes over everything to make sure it’s in working order.”

A strong dealer connection has been key to the McClure’s equipment upkeep and product satisfaction. When the time came for the family to purchase their newer tractors, they made sure to look beyond certain colors and brands and focus more on the after-sale support offered by the dealer.

“Sometimes there are misconceptions because of brands or colors, but I think the quality of a product and its dealer network is more important,” says McClure. “We’ve bought equipment from other dealers before and there was no after-sale service. If there was a problem with a machine, the dealer didn’t want to take care of it.”  

When the McClures discovered their KIOTI tractors and dealer, they were pleasantly surprised with the machines and support. Having a dealer like Woods has helped the family become comfortable with their equipment and keep it working all year long.

“Lyle is always trying to help, showing us how to use the machines or how to take care of a problem,” says McClure. “It’s nice having a quality product and someone who’s going to take care of it after the sale.”

Ripened Business Skills

While a year-round Christmas store, petting zoo and all the apples you can eat sounds like the perfect Sunday afternoon, maintaining the orchard and its day-to-day business requires a less laid-back attitude. With all the same decisions and operational concerns traditional businesses face, the family needs to keep an eye on its inventory and spending. For more than a decade, the McClures have worked diligently to transform their orchard into a successful family business and a popular spot for visitors, as well as a gem in its local community.

“We have really tried to beautify the property and make it a place that people are really proud of,” explains McClure. “By planting a lot of young trees and newer varieties, we try to offer quality apples and products. We’ve made this a place for families to come and if they don’t have money they can come see the animals, play on the swing set and just have fun out here.”

Although the family has successfully sculpted their once rundown orchard into a charming tourist attraction, the McClures were no exception to the rough economy that plagued 2009. With visitors having to tighten their budgets, the family had to do the same. In order to survive the downturn, the orchard focused on ways to cut costs without taking away from a visitor’s experience.  

“I think we had a lot more people come out here last year, but they just didn’t spend the money that they usually do,” says McClure. “Our sales were flat. We spent more on advertising and entertainment than we usually do. As a business, we worked with a lot smaller profit margin.”

The family paid attention to tightening up its spending and keeping a close eye on where money was going. At the restaurant, McClure mentioned that she placed smaller, more frequent orders to avoid wasting any food or products. They also worked to control waste, as well as turn lights off and take care of odd jobs around the farm.

“Last year, we did a lot of labor ourselves,” says McClure. “If we could do it, we did it. This winter we needed some painting done and I got out there and painted myself instead of hiring someone else.”

As McClure’s Orchard gears up for another season full of tourists and tasks, the family can hop on their tractors and get to work. With properly serviced equipment, plenty of enthusiasm and a little elbow grease, the McClures can keep their farm thriving and open for visitors to enjoy.

Pam Stask is assistant editor of Compact Equipment, based in Peninsula, Ohio.