Indiana Horticultural Society Summer Meeting
Co-sponsored by Indiana Vegetable Growers’ Association
June 25, 2019 Huber Orchard and Winery, Starlight, IN
You are warmly welcomed to join us for the summer meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society, held in conjunction with the Indiana Vegetable Growers’ Association. It will be held Tuesday June 25 at Huber Orchard and Winery, in Starlight, IN. Huber’s is one of the largest and best agri-tourism destinations in the Midwest. The meeting will focus on commercial production of fruits and vegetables, and farm marketing. All those interested are welcome to attend.
HUBER ORCHARD AND WINERY
The history of Huber Orchard and Winery began when Simon Huber emigrated from Germany in 1843 and settled in Starlight, Indiana. One branch of the family now operates Huber Orchard and Winery. While farming operations started in 1932, it wasn;t until the 1960s that the transition to direct farm marketing took place. Hubers is now one of the premier farm market destinations in the Midwest.
The owners, cousins Greg and Ted Huber, are the 6th generation of Hubers to run the farm and the 8th generation are currently being raised on the farm. For many years Greg has run the field operations, but his son AJ is now assuming this responsibility. Greg’s wife Jan and daughter Marcie take care of book keeping and administration, and daughter Allie runs Plantation Hall events. Ted is the wine maker and runs all winery operations including distilling, and his son Christian has recently returned to the operation full time and is involved in wine making and distilling. while Ted’s wife Dana coordinates distribution and public relations. This is indeed a family owned and operated business.
Huber Orchard and Winery comprises about 700 acres, with about 80 acres of grapes (mostly wine grapes but also a few seedless), 50 acres of apples, 30 acres of peaches, 8 acres of blackberries, 25 acres strawberries, 100 acres of vegetables such as sweetcorn, green beans and tomatoes, with a further 80 acres of pumpkins and gourds. Christmas trees take up another 30 acres or so. Most crops are sold U-pick and all is sold on the farm. Excess fruit is used in the winery for the production of fruit wines, infusions and other winery products. At the peak of the fall season, over 300 employees are needed to help with the various operations on the farm. While the fall is their busiest time, they are also looking at expanding their season with blueberries, strawberries, music, weddings and corporate events.
Prior to our last Hort Society summer visit to Huber’s in 2012, they have purchased some additional land to provide for expansion and more flexibility with plantings and operations. The other major development is their distillery, that was opened in 2014. They now grow a number of grain crops that are used for the distilling operation. The Hubers have focused on diversification and value-added products. For example, not only do they grow apples and sell them fresh, but they make apple cider, apple butter, apple wine, and apple brandy. Speaking of apples, the Hubers mostly grow Golden Delicious, Gala, Winesap and Fuji, although GoldRush is also becoming quite popular. They recently planted some Evercrispâ so are interested to see how they perform.
Banquets of up to 1000 people can be held on-site for weddings, corporate picnics, and special events. All catering is done in-house. They also offer school tours and have a 30 acre children’s farm park. The farm market is open year-round with bakery items and wine available over the winter. The have reconfigured their children’s zoo and it is now a Children’s Farm Park, with miniature tractors and various activities for the little ones.
While Huber Orchard and Winery is on a much larger scale than many of the orchards and farm markets in the state, all growers are likely to learn useful information during our tour. Their focus on the customer and providing exceptional customer service is applicable, not matter what the size of the operation. For more information, visit their webpage: http://www.huberwinery.com/
Schedule (subject to change)
(all Eastern Daylight Time):
Tuesday, June 25
9:30 am Convene and registration at Huber Orchard and Winery.
10:00 am Introductions, brief walking tour of facilities – winery, market, ice cream store, banquet hall
10:30 am Field tour – apples
11:45 pm Lunch – $10 – RSVP requested (see below)
1:00 pm Field tours – peaches, vegetables, small fruit
4:00 pm Wrap up and conclude
Optional winery and distillery tour for those interested
Registration
A registration fee of $5.00 per family or farm is payable at registration.
Lunch
A catered lunch will be served onsite. This will most likely be fried chicken with vegetables and drinks. There is a $10/person charge for lunch, collected onsite. Please go to the following website to RSVP so we can plan for the right amount of food:
https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6oqUlioijOUNb0x
Directions:
Hubers is much easier to get to with a new road to the farm. Rather than print maps and directions, here’s the address so enter this into your phone or maps:
Huber Orchard and Winery,
19816 Huber Road,
Starlight, IN 47106
Alternatively, directions are available on Huber’s website:
https://www.huberwinery.com/hours-directions/