Along the Way: Beckwith Orchards sows seeds of strength within family

If I were creating an itinerary of “worth-seeing” places for a visitor to the greater Kent area, Beckwith Orchards at 1617 Lake Rockwell Road near Brady Lake would occupy a prominent place on my list.

It is special.

Devoted primarily to fruit producing trees and corn on 36 of its 111 acres, the rest of it forested, Beckwith Orchards has successfully navigated four generations of family ownership and operation. Most of us know it for its tasty varieties of apples grown and handpicked from 2,000 dwarf apple trees, for its home-baked pies, for its wonderful, country-style gifts, including apple-oriented appliances, and for seasonal produce like pumpkins all colorfully displayed in ways that invite their purchase.

The third and fourth Beckwith generations led by the late Charles Beckwith and his wife, Marilyn, and now their daughter Sally, turned the property into an attractive retail and education center that draws thousands of shoppers from late summer through autumn. It also functions as a classroom for youngsters throughout Portage County and beyond. These young people, many of whom have never been on a farm, have the opportunity to learn where apples and peaches come from and how they go to market and eventually end up in their diets.

Romanticized by poets and by city folks who like to extol the virtues of country living, actual farming is hard work. It requires vigilance and, where weather is concerned, good luck. Proximity to a metropolitan area can bring the prospect of having to battle eminent domain threats. The Akron water works system, using eminent domain, eliminated two Beckwith farms that neighbored the surviving Beckwith farm that so many of us today enjoy visiting on Lake Rockwell Road.

Charles Beckwith, a district manager for Dow Chemical’s agriculture division and responsible for a territory of five states, was nearing the end of his 32-year career with that company when he took over operations of Beckwith Orchards from his father Jay in the early 1990s. He eliminated animals and vegetable gardening and focused on the orchard business. Fruit trees flourished on the sandy soils of the farm’s rolling hills adjacent to the Cuyahoga River. He invested in dwarf fruit trees whose height rarely exceeded 10 feet since picking apples and peaches is primarily a hands-on job that a person undertakes on a ladder.

He and his wife, Marilyn, having raised their seven children in a handsome home in West Twin Lakes, elected to stay put, leaving the two-story Greek revival home for Charles’ father Jay, who lived out his life there, dying at 100.

They had saved well. Having put all seven children through college, Charles decided to direct their savings to modernize the farm with apple sorting equipment and a cider mill. A modest structure was built to house retail operations, and Marilyn came up with the idea of a gift shop, which was immediately well received and began to grow.

An enthusiastic promoter who enjoyed meeting others, Charles hosted activities that would attract shoppers. The barn between the house and the retail site was earmarked for storage, but then refurbished for activities. The farm hosted a community garden until environmental regulations made it difficult to do that and manage an orchard that eventually grew to 2,000 trees.

Mindful that a family business needs a good succession plan, the opportunity to join the family business was presented to their children. Sally, who after college spent 18 years in marketing in Chicago and in Minneapolis for a large sporting goods chain, decided to join her parents. The match proved a good one, and Sally eventually took over the business, which leases the property for the orchard and retail center from the farm, which the family owns.

Now, after nearly 25 years, Sally is starting to put together a succession plan for another generation of Beckwith’s. “My generation of Beckwith’s” she said, “has produced a generation of Beckwith’s that numbers 14 and is still growing. There are several among them who could run this business well.”

Key to the continuation of any successful family business is harmony and prospects for Beckwith Orchards look good. The late Charles Beckwith, who with his wife, Marilyn, started the retail operations, was an outgoing person and his circles of friendships were large. The COVID pandemic prevented the holding of a celebration of life for him in 2020.

Instead, the family gathered at Beckwith Orchards, many arriving from great distances. Together in one day, they planted 200 apple trees in the patriarch’s honor. It was a testament to the love an admiration the man inspired and to the strong feelings of Beckwith family loyalty.

Long may Beckwith Orchards survive and prosper. For those of us who love and admire Beckwith Orchards, the image of those family members planting those 200 trees in Charles Beckwith’s honor is a good sign.

David E. Dix is a former publisher of The Record-Courier.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Resilient Beckwith Orchards in Kent area remains a must-see spot