Every week during the Indy Winter Farmers Market season, we’ll be profiling one of our local vendors. You can find the full list of IWFM vendors and past profiles here.
Located in Pendleton, IN, Glen Grabow’s Orchard and Bakery is no stranger to the farmers market scene and has been participating in central Indiana markets for over 20 years. Prior to starting his orchard, Grabow worked as an Aerospace Engineer and spent his time from 1960-1967 developing a new type of steering control for Polaris Ballistic Missiles.
Grabow always had fruit trees on his property growing up, so he figured an orchard would be a good supplement to his time after her retired as a rocket scientist. In the spring of 1989, Grabow bought property for his apple orchard and planted a total of 120 trees, which each of the 10 rows housing a different variety. In the following years, Grabow added more varieties and even dabbled with other fruits like berries. With the completion of building a sales barn, Grabow’s wife began making pies to sell in addition to the apples at their farm stand. Since then, Grabow’s Orchard and Bakery has expanded to over 20 apple varieties and a delicious line of handmade, preservative free quick breads and dumplings.
Now, Grabow is planning to expand his farming operation to include many vegetables and will utilize a green, no chemical regime on his produce. After a long day of farming, Grabow likes to keep his mind busy by playing brain games and puzzles. Make sure you stop by the Grabow Orchard and Bakery booth at the Indy Winter Farmers Market and chat with this smart, passionate scientist turned farmer.
Connect: graboworchard.com // Facebook // Twitter