Family launches fruit orchard and shares the challenges and rewards

Kelvin Hildebrandt and his family are building Windhover Orchard near Miami, Manitoba, and now manage about 2,000 apple trees after years of learning grafting, propagation and orchard care. In 2025 they harvested roughly 4,535 kilograms of apples sold at farmers' markets, and Hildebrandt plans additional grafting and trials of new varieties.

Kelvin Hildebrandt and his family are developing Windhover Orchard on 30 hectares of land eight kilometres south of Miami in the RM of Thompson, Manitoba. He grew up on a farm near Boissevain and learned orchard skills from local growers, volunteering at the University of Saskatchewan, and attending workshops on grafting and propagation. Over more than a decade he has installed deer fencing, set up a misting-bed system, and established about 2,000 apple trees while continuing to learn and graft more trees. The family lives on the property, were married there in 2011, and are raising four children while expanding the orchard. Key details: - The property includes about 12 hectares of oak and basswood used for wind protection and is named Windhover Orchard after the American kestrel. - Hildebrandt purchased Vineland 3 rootstock in 2012 and is now transitioning to Geneva apple rootstocks sourced from CopenHaven Farms in Oregon. - He has used a misting-bed propagation system, installed deer fencing, and grafted large numbers of trees (about 800 in one year). - After drought years, the orchard produced nearly 4,535 kilograms of apples in 2025, which were sold at farmers' markets with high demand. - Hildebrandt is trialing several apple varieties for cold hardiness and timing, including Sandow, KinderKrisp, Carroll, Miami, William's Pride and Sweet Sixteen. Summary: The orchard has developed through practical learning, local mentorship and hands-on experimentation, and recent harvests show increasing production after drought years. Planned work includes grafting about 300 more trees, switching to Geneva rootstocks and continuing variety trials to test cold hardiness and harvest timing for local events.