North Liberty apple farmer retires after 50 years

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Posted: 6:51 PM Jan 5, 2012 North Liberty apple farmer retires after 50 years Popular farmer with well known apple orchard decides to uproot apple trees and rent land to another farmer. Eberly's will be closed next season. Reporter: Stephanie Stang Email Address: stephanie.stang@wndu.com

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He picked hundreds of apples during his lifetime but he'll be remembered as the popular apple farmer in North Liberty who touched many generations.

Recently Don Eberly decided to close his orchard after 50 years.

“We moved here two days after Christmas with five little children in the cold and wondered what we were getting into,” recalls wife Barb Eberly.

He's been in farming all of his life. But decided after several tough seasons in farming it was time to retire.

84-year-old Eberly cut back the number of acres to twenty after a heart operation in 1996.

“It was a fun trip,” says Don Eberly. “I enjoyed it and I think the thing I enjoyed the most was that you work a lot by yourself.”

Now as part of the closure all of the trees have been uprooted and will be removed so the land can be used by another farmer.

During the orchard's prime Don and Barb farmed 70 acres. He ran a U-Pick business offering 30 types of apples. Plus hundreds of tours were given to students.

Eberly is popular and known by many as a funny, outgoing hard worker who loved to take pride in picking apples.

When the Eberly's moved here with their children they bought the land with a simple hand shake.

In 1996 Don had a heart operation and scaled back most of the farm.

At one time he had ten other employees helping out plus his wife.

Eventually his children will sell the land.

For now another farmer is going to rent it and use it once it's cleared.

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