About Us

Gene and Barb Thompson started Thompsons' Hillcrest Orchard in 1996 when they, along with their children, moved to the rolling hills of Elko, Minnesota and planted 200 apple trees. Since then, our orchard has grown to feature over 1,000 trees with ten varieties of apples, plus pumpkins, gourds, and even a corn maze! We offer both pick-your-own and pre-picked apples. All our guests are welcome to stroll around the orchard grounds, which are great for family outings and scenic pictures.

History

My husband, Gene, and I started planting our orchard in 1996 with 200 apple trees. Currently we have 1,100 apple trees (in 10 varieties), raspberries, and a pumpkin and gourd patch. Our four children; Andrew, Nathan, Ryan and Rachel, help in the orchard. The newest trees we have planted are the SweeTango.  SweeTango is a cross between the two most popular varieties we have; the Honeycrisp and Zestar