Orchard provides banker retirement income, family tradition

Rick Godsil is a gentleman farmer. The Gardner resident spends his days as a vice president at the Ottawa branch of the Bank of the West helping clients with their financial needs. However, his evenings and weekends are spent tending his grove of fruit trees at the Wagon Wheel Orchard in Gardner.

Godsil grew up in a farming family in Illinois. After moving to this area, Godsil bought the Gardner acreage in 1999, complete with farmhouse. With hard work, over time Godsil and family turned it into the Wagon Wheel Orchard. The property has about 2,000 trees on it representing 1,200 varieties of fruit and other produce including apples, peaches, cherries, nuts and paw paws.

“We’re a no spray orchard, so that if a tree doesn’t survive we’ll just plant another,” Godsil said.

In starting the orchard, Godsil wanted to give his children the same experience he had growing up.

“It started as a small hobby to press cider for my kids,” said Godsil. “Then it went to 100 trees and then 300 trees and kept going.”

The Wagon Wheel Orchard sits next to the historic Oregon Trail.

Q: Is the orchard open to the public?

During the week, the orchard is open to school groups by reservation.

“They get a little bit of history and they get to pick a few apples,” Godsil said. On average, the orchard has two or three groups weekly and charges about $3 per student. Weekends are open to the public by reservation only, if there is an adequate supply of apples available.

“One time we opened to the public and we had 400 people show up, and we only have 12 parking spots,” said Godsil, so he changed the policy.

In addition to the fruit the orchard produces, Wagon Wheel has become known for the grafting of trees it sells. In 2013, Godsil grafted 3,500 trees.

“We dropped it down in number because it was crazy,” he said. “Grafting is by far the most profitable.… You don’t have all the labor and space taken up.… It’s a real niche market. It’s apple preservation.”

Q: Who runs the orchard?

“I do have a couple of people who help out, but it’s mostly family,” Godsil said. “Next year, I may pull the trigger and hire somebody for about three months during season.”

Godsil has some other ideas for the orchard, too.

“We are expanding into potting trees for next fall because the nursery sales exceed the fruit sales,” he said.

Q: Has your banking background helped you with orchard business?

“It’s priceless,” Godsil said. “The orchard has really helped me more on the banking side. I understand everything. Being in business has helped me in banking. In doing a loan for a customer it’s now two business owners talking the same language.”

Godsil said his intention was never to go into the orchard business as his main source of income.

“It was always the retirement plan, but it has evolved into this,” Godsil said. “I don’t think anyone should do orcharding as a full-time job. It takes 8 to 12 years to have a sizeable crop.… It’s generally retirees who build orchards while they’re working and when they retire they use it as income.”

Godsil enjoys working in the orchard, but he said it was challenging to stay on task.

“There are certain things you have to do no matter what time of year it is or how tired you are,” he said.

There is often something to do in the orchard between watering, pruning and planting; in the winter months things slow down. Having a fruit-producing orchard leaves Godsil little time for other activities.

“I don’t watch football,” he said with a laugh. “I go out with my kids and take care of trees.”

The winter months do tend to slow down, Godsil said.

“That’s why it’s a great retirement business — you’re off in the winter months.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2014 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Orchard provides banker retirement income, family tradition."