Keeping it in the family
It takes a lot of work to operate a successful apple house and orchard, but Joshua Aaron notes it can also be very rewarding.
“The thing that really stands out to me are the people that come back year after year,” he said in late August, just as visitors were beginning to stop by Aaron Family Orchards on Highway 52 East. “We have a few families that always talk about how they remember when my grandmother was running the place. They like to talk about Jack and Dorothy (Aaron) and how this is a staple for them because of how many memories they made when they were younger, and now want to pass that along to their kids and grandkids.”
The roadside establishment opened as Aaron’s Apple House in 1944, and a lot of local and out-of-town folks still recognize it by that name. In the 1970s, brothers Mack and Jack Aaron split the orchard between Highway 52 and Lower Cartecay Road between themselves. Mack started Mack Aaron’s Apple House a little farther east on the highway, and Jack kept Aaron’s Apple House.
Jack and his wife, Dorothy, kept the apple house going, and then their son and daughter-in-law, Alan Aaron and Mary Waddell (Joshua’s parents) took over along with Mitchell and Diane Bowen.
“They operated it together for a few years,” said Joshua. “Then it went to just my dad, and I took it over in January of this year. The thing that sticks out to me, and I want to keep on staying in that direction — is for Aaron Family Orchards being a place for those families to come generation after generation. Because years ago, they just saw this random apple house on the side of the road, thought they would stop in — and ended up making memories.”
This year is significant for Joshua Aaron, even though officially the name change took place back in 2013.
“I think it was very fitting that this is our 80th anniversary,” he said. “We’re not really reopening, it’s just the next generation has taken over.”
Not just about apples
Joshua, age 28, is a 2014 alum of Gilmer High School and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2018 with a degree in agriculture education; he is married to Dr. Kaylee Todd, a professor at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega.
“I bought the farm in January, we got married in February, went on our honeymoon in March, and the day after our honeymoon planted 2,000 apple trees,” he said with a laugh.
However, the produce list is long at Aaron’s. Besides apples they carry (in season) peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe and also veggies including Vidalia onions, cucumbers, okra, peppers, sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, green beans, sweet and russet potatoes, golden potatoes and peanuts in all forms — raw, roasted and deep-fried.
Furthermore, there’s a cornucopia of culinary delights: different kinds of honeys, syrups, fruit butters, jams, jellies and preserves, pickles, relishes, chow chows, salsas and a wide variety of popcorns, seasonings, barbecue sauces, different baked items, candies, freeze-dried items and even home décor. Books include a special one they helped write last year with Nan Flickinger (Ellie J’s Apples), and they also carry T-shirts, ciders and sodas.
“My brother Stephen and I had a vision that we were not just going to be about apples, that there was so much more we could be about,” Joshua shared. “We’ve always really loved the family aspect of what the orchard and farms are supposed to be. And we’re both civically minded. We want this to be kinda the one-stop shop for everything you think of about Ellijay — that means getting our cider press back open, starting a bakery and allowing for year-round opportunities for families to come. And not just to spend time in Ellijay, but spend time together and make long-lasting memories.”
Coming back home
For “the foreseeable future,” Aaron Family Orchard will be open from May to December,” added Joshua, “but I would like to get back open year-round. Because I’ve been involved with this my entire life.”
Dreams change. For awhile, Joshua thought he was going to be an educator.
“My first job actually was in education, I was working at the FFA-FCCLA Center in Covington, and my responsibilities covered many of the educational programs, including aquatics,” he said.
FFA is Future Farmers of America, of course, and FCCLA stands for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (formerly Future Homemakers of America).
“Things I learned there I’m trying to pass over to here, program-wise,” he related.
Through the decades, the orchard business has remained a family affair. These days, brother Stephen Aaron is active in Georgia political circles and assists the orchard in digital marketing and strategic planning. Their sister, Sarah Aaron, works in the health care industry as an EMT. She assists at the farm when possible, using the Aaron family geniality to help customers and also work in the orchard, and their father Alan helps out as well. Joshua’s new in-laws have been very supportive since the newlyweds started dating, and come up from south Georgia at least once a month to help with projects.
Assistance from local apple industry friends goes a long way too.
“I’ve had a lot of help from Bill Aaron at Mack Aaron’s Apple House, John Reece with BJ Reece Orchards, Andy Futch with R & A Orchards, the Pritchetts from Red Apple Barn and the Penlands in the replanting of our orchard, and I am thankful for their continual support and advice as well,” said Joshua.
“Whenever you make memories with your family, that’s when your family gets closer,” he summarized. “People will want to come back to Ellijay, and that can make the world a better place to live.”