General Info

Pleasant Valley Orchard is located atop the scenic hills of southeastern Chisago County with sweeping views of the St. Croix Valley. It is a family owned orchard with its first tree plantings in 1990. We utilize integrated pest management techniques, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota, to manage the orchard. This means we spend a lot of time monitoring and trapping pests in order to minimize our use of pesticides. We do this to protect the environment and to ensure our apples are absolutely free of any pesticide residues when we pick them. Pleasant Valley Orchard was the recipient of the 2001 New Initiative Award for Chisago County by the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Pleasant Valley Orchard is a member of the Minnesota Apple Growers Association and the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. Jim serves on the Board of the Minnesota Apple Growers Association and represents them on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Grown Board. Pleasant Valley Orchard is owned and operated by the husband and wife team, Jim Birkholz and Judy Erickson, along with their three children, Joe, Amelia and Sam Birkholz.