Mercier Orchards is located in Blue Ridge, Georgia and has a current range of about three hundred acres of land. Now onto its fourth generation, the orchards have been in operation for over seventy-five years. This family-owned orchard was founded in 1943 by Bill and Adele Mercier. When the orchard first began, it started with twenty-three acres of land, but has clearly grown since. Currently, Mercier Orchards produces many types of fruits such as apples, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and peaches. The orchard is also family-driven. They host “U-Pick” events and also have an assortment of stores to visit such as a bakery, market cafe, and market store. Just recently, they have added a winery to the orchards. Mercier Orchards also strives to give back to the community by working on three separate projects. The first project they are working on is called “Feed Fannin”. This project is designed to educate and encourage the public to become self sufficient and produce some of their own food. The second project is “Snack in a Backpack”. This project allows year-round access to food for kids regardless of summer and winter breaks. The final project they are working towards is “Project Chimps.” Mercier Orchards makes an effort to donate funds to the lifelong care of chimpanzees. I am looking forward to seeing an orchard on such a large scale, particularly the large amount of apple trees in one area since it’s something I haven’t seen on a large scale before.
