Bearing Good Fruit: Morning Glory Orchard in Nolensville, Tennessee
Nestled just outside the town limits of Nolensville, Tennessee, Morning Glory Orchard is a jewel of Williamson County. The family farm is run by twin sisters Alyson Terrel and Andrea Williams, who have followed in the footsteps of their parents, Curt and Christina Wideman. Alongside their popular events, each year Morning Glory Orchard produces local peaches, apples, home grown vegetables, jams and preserves, natural honey, cider, and fresh baked goods. The Wideman’s have an incredible story and their serene, 10-acre orchard is absolutely worth a visit this summer and fall.
A Family Tradition
Although Morning Glory Orchard has been an operating farm in Nolensville since 1978, the story of the Wideman family and the orchard begins in 2002. Before Morning Glory Orchard, the Wideman’s were not an agricultural family. In fact, while Alyson and Andrea were growing up the family lived in 14 different states and 2 different countries, following their father’s career in big-time construction management, which required consistent relocation due to the temporary nature of building projects. Alyson Terrel remembers her father, then, as Mr. Cooperate America: boundless work ethic in a 3-piece suit.
“I didn’t really grow up anywhere,” shared Terrel from her seat in the Morning Glory Orchard Office, where she now serves as Chief Apple Officer. “I was kind of a product of wherever we were. We all got used to not settling anywhere. You’re always the new kid in town. And we were a very close-knit family because we always had to depend on each other.”
Alyson and Andrea have always been very close, and relocated to Tennessee at the same time to attend Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. After Alyson and Andrea moved to Tennessee, their brother followed suit, then their parents, then some close friends. Now settled in Nolensville, the sisters manage the orchard together. This coming year will be Andrea’s 3rd season as Event Director, a position her sister shares that she is absolutely brilliant at, thanks to a history in social work and her natural talent for creativity and hospitality. “I love working with Andrea,” said Alyson. “She’s my person in life. I would have such a difficult time in life if I didn’t have my twin sister.”
Initially, Alyson and Andrea were reluctant to join in their parent’s agricultural adventure, which Mr. and Mrs. Wideman embarked on after retiring in 2002. “When they bought Morning Glory I looked at my mom and dad and literally said ‘What do you two know about growing apples?’ and my dad said ‘nothing, but we’re going to learn’. It just wasn’t my thing,” shrugged Alyson. “Then daddy got sick and it was.”
In a very short time frame, everything changed. Alyson decided to quit her job as VP of operations for a software company. Shortly after, her father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The devastating diagnosis came just a day before she and her husband, Andy, were married. Mr. Wideman passed away in 2017, only 4 months after the wedding. He is remembered as larger than life, and an incredible father and husband. Unsure of what came next, Terrel shared the moment her intentions shifted: “When he passed away, I remember sitting on the tailgate of his rusty, old, beat up Dodge Ram looking over the property, and I had this weird feeling. I gave it a couple of weeks and then told my husband, ‘I think that maybe I should take over the farm.”
Mr. Wideman had a lot of contacts in local agriculture, and the farming community came to Alyson’s aide as she prepared for the first peach season, which was quickly approaching. The former owner of the orchard, Jack, who lives nearby, even came over, unprompted, in the first year to care for the farm while Alyson learned the lay of the land. She is now on her 9th season running the family orchard, tending to the gorgeous property and her father’s memory.
Visit Morning Glory Orchard
If you’re looking to stop by, the orchard is open between June 11th and November 1st every year. Between June 11th and August 29th, the retail store hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and self-guided orchard tours and access to the grounds are available Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Between September 2nd and October 18th, the store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; however, tours of the grounds are not available because of school field trips. Between October 21st and November 1st, access to the grounds resume Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shopping in the retail store is always free. Entry into the orchard is $5 per person. Please keep in mind that Morning Glory Orchard is not a U-Pick experience, as this practice leads to 40% crop loss; however, you can purchase pre-harvested fruit at the farm store.
During the summer and fall, Morning Glory has several premier events. Although the orchard certainly loves and cherishes kids, especially in lending to their education via field trips, most other events are tailored toward adults. Speaking to this, Terrel explained, “We don’t discourage children at all, but we definitely believe that couples, families, etcetera, need time together to refocus. We wanted to create a space where husbands and wives, parents with older kids, or friends can get together and rekindle their relationships without a ton of distractions.”
Their most popular events include Sunsets & Cider picnics, the Taste & Tour Experience, free, weekly “Singo” nights, mixology classes, and more. Guests are also encouraged, if they’d like, to bring their own picnic on the weekends, purchase a bottle or two of Morning Glory’s house cider, and enjoy gathering together in the beautiful orchard.
Many of these events are accompanied by Roots & Wings, Morning Glory’s very own hard cider. Roots & Wings is the only hard cider that is 100% made in Tennessee. The award winning beverage has a distinct label that represents the Wideman family, with a big apple tree in the middle representing Curt Wideman, and two little trees on either side representing Alyson and Andrea. The graphic is surrounded by a gorgeous turquoise color, paying homage to their mother, Christina Wideman (who retired from the orchard in 2019), with her favorite color. The name Roots & Wings also holds deep meaning, as Mr. Wideman always told his children he wanted them to have “deep roots and wings to fly.” Roots & Wings is currently only available for purchase on site at the orchard; however, they are currently working to get the beverage served at 2 restaurants sometime in the near future. During mixology classes at the orchard, run by Andrea, the hard cider is used to create a variety of delicious cocktails, showcasing the versatility of the beverage.
Field Trips
During the month of September and the first 2 weeks of October, Morning Glory Orchard is visited by about 1,000 students per week through the orchard’s field trip programs. The tour is tailored to younger kids, more specifically matching a 1st or 2nd grade curriculum. During their day at Morning Glory, students take a 30 minute tour through the orchard and learn about the life cycle of trees and the day-to-day tools used to tend to the orchard. Additionally, students are allowed to pick apples (depending on the date of the field trip) and talk about bees and pollination. There’s then a 30 minute classroom experience, where students get to see an old cider press crank cider and learn about the legendary Johnny Appleseed. During this time, the kids are also able to taste apples, cider, and honey produced at Morning Glory. Following this program, some school groups have a picnic in the open picnic area at the orchard, wrapping up the educational day.
Field trip reservations are required. The experience costs $12 per guest and includes a complimentary goodie bag. Any chaperones or siblings over the age of 2 are required to pay the admission fee. Teachers accredited by the state of Tennessee are free. Field trip groups must be larger than 25 people. For smaller groups, Morning Glory’s Taste & Tour Events and Family Field Trip Days are an ideal alternative option. To make a field trip inquiry or learn about orchard etiquette, visit the field trip page on the orchard’s website.
Learning From the Land
One of the biggest lessons of the orchard, Alyson explained, has been dependency on God, a practice that has become paramount in her family’s life. So much of Morning Glory’s harvest depends on the elements, which year by year are unpredictable. This reality, for farmers, requires patience, perseverance, and incredible faith. Speaking to this, Terrel shared a truth that this year’s pruning season at the orchard revealed:
“Every year we prune and I think ‘I’ve killed these trees’ because you have to cut so much off. Jesus talks about pruning, and about the fruit we bear. And I thought, ‘if you’re going through a season where you are being pruned, it’s hurtful. It’s painful. You don’t look or feel like yourself,’ just like the trees. But I was driving through the other day, just 3 months after I did all that pruning, and I thought ‘look at this fruit and these limbs that I’m having to dodge with the tractor because they’ve grown so full.’ It made me think, if you’re going through a period of pruning, hang tight. Don’t give up, because the growing season is about to happen, and then the harvest season.”
There are roughly 90 days in each season, each of which require a specific kind of preparation at the orchard. June, July, and August is peach season. September and October is apple season and the time that Morning Glory reaches it’s peak busyness, welcoming between 500 and 1,500 visitors per day. After the orchard closes to the public, November and December are spent preparing bakery items for the next season: applesauce, pie filling, apple butter, preserves, and more. January, February, and March bring pruning season, followed by planting in April and May preparations. The incredible care and commitment to each season at Morning Glory is intentional, a result of Mr. Wideman’s view of the orchard as his mission field. Every tree that’s planted is prayed over, alongside every piece of fruit that leaves the property. This, Terrel believes, is evident in the sense of peace one encounters in the orchard, a peace that has served both her family and visitors for years: “It’s a lovely circle of life moment. Daddy was always a great father and husband, but I saw him soften when he took over the farm. And his walk with the Lord became much, much deeper when he got here. He loved my mom better and stronger than I had ever seen him love her. And now the same is coming true for me.”
Shop Local
Part of the mission of Morning Glory Orchard is to support other local farmers and artisans, as made evident by the products found in the farm store. Among their own products, the orchard sells local products whenever possible. If not directly local, many products are made in Tennessee, regionally, or the U.S., right down to the bags used in the gift shop. This intentional local sourcing showcases Morning Glory’s strong commitment to connection, and the local economy. It’s a fact that a significant amount of money stays in the community when you shop locally, as opposed to at big box stores or online. A self-proclaimed “crunchy-person,” Terrel is also passionate about the health benefits associated with shopping for food, whenever possible, at local farms. Speaking to this she shared: “The further away we get from eating the way our great grandparents did, the more unhealthy we get. Our great grandparents ate with the seasons. We have to get back to some of that.”
The convivence of online shopping and delivery is not lost on Terrel, however, she strongly encourages consumers to be mindful to support small and local business whenever they can: “If we don’t support our small businesses, we’re not going to have a choice. My hope is that you find a small business that you love, no matter what it is, and then tell everyone you know about it.”
Aside from the farm store, you can find Morning Glory products at local farmers markets the Factory at Franklin’s Wednesday Farmers Market from 4 to 7 p.m. and Nashville’s Crieve Hall Farmin’ in the Hall, hosted in the parking lot of Crievewood Methodist Church every Thursday May through September from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
A Beautiful Legacy
Morning Glory Orchard is a part of one of Tennessee’s most incredible features—its vibrant rural landscape. In Williamson County in particular, our landscape and access to agriculture is a remarkable blessing that increases quality of life. To partake in this, there are a variety of ways to support local agriculture. Explore our region’s rich agritourism opportunities, farmers markets, specialty shops, and more. Engaging with our farming community is more important than ever, as it supports a bright, sustainable future for our county and beyond.
The fruit that Morning Glory Orchard has bore, both literally and metaphorically, in the Nolensville community and surrounding areas is obvious, as is the love that the Wideman family has fostered here in Middle Tennessee, where they have built a home. Theirs is an inspiring story of resilience, faith, and family, a testament to the heart and soul of the agricultural community in Williamson County. As peach season is fast approaching, consider spending the day at the orchard, experiencing the beauty of our local landscape, all the while considering the incredible stories unfolding right here and now, in the place that we call home.
