Bickle’s Apples welcomes new four-legged mascot

Longtime apple-farm helper Joanne Sauder holds the Bickle family’s newest addition, Gracie, a 13-week-old English bulldog, alongside Bickle’s Apples owner Kathy Bickle. Gary West photo

By Gary West

The newest member of the Bickle family is already winning hearts at Bickle’s Apples south of Tavistock.

Gracie, a 13-week-old English bulldog, has become the latest addition to the well-known apple farm located along Highway 59 between Tavistock and Hickson.

By the time readers see this, the Bickle family’s popular apple destination will have closed for the season. As usual, the farm retail store will reopen in September around the time of the Tavistock Fall Fair, when apple harvest begins. Watch the Gazette for details.

During a visit to the farm last week, visitors were introduced to Gracie, who is quickly settling into her role as the newest mascot for the busy farm market.

Kathy Bickle said the family’s former bulldog, Morty, lived a long and happy life on the farm.

Morty is buried in the orchard where he loved to roam and remains fondly remembered by the Bickle family and the many visitors who stop by the farm each year.

Bringing Gracie home, Kathy Bickle said, is much like welcoming a new baby into the family.

Grandma Kaye Bickle, who still lives on the farm, is especially excited about the new arrival.

Kathy and Tom Bickle, along with the rest of the family, also want to thank their many customers for visiting the farm market over the past year. In addition to apples, the family’s retail store offers a variety of other products for customers throughout the season.

They look forward to welcoming everyone back again in the fall when another apple season begins.

By then, Gracie will have grown a little, and the Bickle family is sure she will be ready to greet the many visitors who stop by the orchard each year.