The Rogers family in Southington has a story to tell. A very long story. About 200 years’ worth, in fact.
Founded in 1809, Rogers Orchards grows and sells apples, peaches, nectarines, and pears, along with other specialties including homemade apple cider doughnuts and pies.
The orchards got their start when Chauncey Merriman bought a small farm on the south end of Shuttle Meadow Lake in Southington, where he planted apple trees with his children.
His son and grandson expanded the orchards, as did his great-granddaughter, who married Elijah Rogers. When the the couple expanded the family’s commercial orchard operation in 1916, they had 3,500 apple trees and 7,000 peach trees.
Today, Rogers Orchards covers 275 acres in Southington and generates about 75,000 bushels of fruit each year, with 65 percent sold wholesale to grocery stores.
Despite the risk of harsh weather, which can destroy an entire crop within hours from a frost, hail storm or hurricane, Rogers Orchards is a business that has survived countless challenges for two centuries; today, seventh and eighth generation members of the Rogers family run the business.
Its longevity can be summed up simply: each generation considered how they could best protect the family business for future generations, said Pete Rogers, 30, an eighth generation family member who works at the business.
“Dad and grandfather did really well planning for the future,” Pete said. “They were constantly thinking about the next generation, new plantings and always planning ahead.”
Fruit trees require about four to five years before they bear fruit, and eight years to come into full production.
Each generation added a new component to the business that helped guarantee its future, John Rogers said. His father Frank, the sixth generation to head up the business, purchased another nearby orchard and opened up a bakery and retail store on that site.
They discovered that there was a strong demand for homemade baked goods, so John Rogers tinkered with various recipes to create Rogers own apple cider doughnuts, now a customer favorite.
Demand continued to grow for homemade pies and doughnuts, so John Rogers and his father opened up a second bakery and retail store at their original farm site.
John Rogers has continued the family legacy by expanding production, doubling it during the past 20 years, in part by changing their planting techniques.
Today, they plant fruit trees closer together and keep them smaller in size with additional trimming, he explained.
Planning ahead has paid off. Rogers Orchards now grows 20 varieties of apples and 15 varieties of peaches, employing 75 workers during peak picking season and 15 year-round.
“My father’s love of the land and his goal of being able to pass it on to the next generation in better shape — and he did — presented me with this opportunity,” said John Rogers, who is now training the eighth generation to assume the helm.
Son Pete, who studied economics at Trinity College and worked as an investment banker before joining the family business about a 18 months ago, and John’s son-in-law Greg Parzych, who is married to his daughter Martha Rogers, are vice presidents of the company. Martha and Greg are former school teachers.
In addition to diversifying and growing the business so future generations will be able to join the family enterprise if they so choose, John Rogers said that they have always been very careful when making capital investments.
“We run it on a conservative streak,” John Rogers said. “It is very important when dealing with Mother Nature, so you can weather a bad year or two.”
Next on the agenda, the Rogers plan to replace their packing line to stay competitive in the wholesale business.
And in 20 years or so, two-year-old granddaughter May Parzych may be the next family member to run the business.
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Diane Weaver Dunne is the Hartford Business Journal interim editor.
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