A train whistle blows as it passes alongside Highway 60 in Marionville, Missouri. Just off of the highway sits Murphy Orchard, which has been family owned for three generations.
Wes Murphy runs the business that his father started 44 years ago. It's been part of him since he was young.
“I mean, as soon as I could, dad put me to work," said Murphy, "so, you know, I was 10 [or] 12. I was learning how to drive tractors, and I was participating a little bit. I worked in the fruit stand for a little bit when I got a little bit older."
At the front of the farm stand store on this day, there are rows and rows of large red strawberries. Different types of goods and produce can be found here depending on the time of year. Murphy said there are not many orchards left in Missouri anymore, and he takes pride in his family’s business. He remembers how his father used to pick fruit for harvest.
“We actually pick it when it's ripe, which causes us to have a few ‘seconds,’ which is stuff that may get bruised or blemished because it's so ripe," he said. "But when you do that, your fruit has more sugar in it by waiting a few more days. And so, I think we've got the best tasting fruit in Missouri.”
Murphy said he has customers who come from all over, even across state lines.
“I've got a lady from Texas that calls me every spring, and so she wants to know if we're on track as far as everything being ripe during these dates," he said. "And so, she calls and then checks in. She makes about four visits a year."
Murphy shows us around rows and rows of grape vines and takes us to the apple orchard. He enthusiastically talks about his trees and vines, seeming to know each plant like a family member. Murphy said he left the farm to attend college and had a different career for a while.
“I was a schoolteacher for 10 years. I love being outside, so really working outside is a joy for me," he said. "And maybe farmers will only understand this, but you know, being in a tractor is kind of, kind of very peaceful. You're just driving along, just, you know, you're focused on what you're doing, but it just, it just seems very peaceful a lot of times. There’s a little bit of freedom. There's variety each season. Each season I have a different fruit or different crop ripening.”
Murphy returned to the orchard in 2012, and this has been his life ever since.
“You grow up doing all the hard work. You're kind of glad to get away from it for a little bit," he said. "But then once you're away from it, you realize how much you miss it.”
Murphy said farming is not for everyone. It is hard work, early mornings and round-the-clock responsibility at times. He said there are periods of downtime seasonally, but there is always something to do like pruning, fixing equipment and daily responsibilities. He also participates in local farmers markets, which means hauling goods to market very early some mornings.
Murphy advises anyone interested in farming to do their homework and get all of the information they can. Farming isn’t easy. He said the weather has been their biggest enemy over the past few years and is a primary factor in success or failure of a crop. A late freeze this year impacted the orchard.
"Missouri, we have a lot of late freezes in general, April freezes, so it's kind of scary when things start blooming in March, and our peaches were at a sensitive stage, and so we lost probably about 50 to 60% of those," he said. "Apples bloomed about a week after that cold snap came through, and our grapes looked great. Blueberries, strawberries, apples, they all, they all manage that fine.”
Murphy said they carry disaster insurance, which is helpful but only goes so far.
“I've probably lost 90 to 100% of my crop the last five out of six years," he said. "When it comes to peaches, apples, I haven't had 100% crop during that period, but I've had enough apples pretty much four of those six years to be happy with.”
Murphy said farmers often support one another, and that can help them through tough times.
“My wife often jokes that, in the springtime when weather starts going bad, she laughs because she thinks that all of my orchard friends are all in group therapy," he said. "So, we're talking to each other. About what? How cold are you supposed to get? How cold are you supposed to get? You know, and what stage are your peaches at?”
While peaches and apples have been a mainstay for the orchard, Murphy said they continue to expand and offer more variety to diversify options — like adding grapes and several types of berries. He said they also grow a small selection of vegetables, particularly when they lose a crop.
“I've got a lot depending on me. If I lose a crop, then that's, it hurts. It hurts everybody that works for us and hurts us too," he said.
Weather isn’t the only challenge for farmers. Murphy said there are other enemies to a healthy crop including several types of insects and fungus.
“So most everything we do is conventional farming," he said. "We use chemicals. Missouri has a problem with high humidity. We have all sorts of fungal issues here. We have a lot of insect pressure here that some other states, especially towards the coast, don't have all the insects that we have here. And with fruit trees, it's hard to find an effective, organic methods for them.”
Murphy said that, even with all the difficulties and stresses of farming, it’s in his blood. He continues to learn and try new things and to collaborate with other farmers for their mutual benefit. In the end, farmers are committed to finding ways to make their businesses successful.
