If picking apples in the fall is your thing, Royal Oak Farm Orchard checks every box.

There are more than 22,000 apple trees, with more than 30 varieties from old favorites like Honeycrisp and Red Delicious to lesser known but tasty SnowSweet and Liberty and Ginger Gold. The seasonal tradition is a beacon for home bakers and sauce-makers who love nothing better than spending a day among the trees, picking apples by the peck.

And if that was the sum of what Royal Oak had to offer, it would be impressive.

Lucky for everyone, there’s more.

Owner-operator and retail marketing maven Sarah Bell met us at the site – 15908 Hebron Road, Harvard, Illinois – for a conversation and tour. She is part of the third generation of her family on the land her grandparents purchased in 1989. Several family members actively manage and work on the operation, which has grown to include a broad menu of wholesome, fun activities.

When Sarah’s grandparents Peter and Gloria Bianchini bought the 120-acre farm (later expanded to 160) it was a typical corn, soybeans and dairy operation. They were looking for a country retreat for retirement, something quieter after Peter’s successful career as a housing developer in the Chicago suburbs. They hired a friend as farm manager and began mixing in a few apple trees.

Then, well, builders will be builders.

A machine shed – the only original footprint at Royal Oak – was converted to a gift shop, bakery and restaurant, which opened to the public in 1997.

“He was a builder, so he loved to build. Any time he could build something he would get really excited,” Sarah told us. “Even tiny little projects. He had the mind and the vision to plan out a property well because he had done developing his whole life.”

Now, years later, it is striking that the various buildings all look brand new. A testament to the incredible maintenance at Royal Oak, everything is clean and well kept. Nothing haphazard. All the planned development of an engineer’s mind.

Royal Oak sits in the rolling countryside, a pleasant drive surrounded by farms. It draws customers regularly from Chicago to Rockford to Kenosha and the Lake Geneva area. The theme is faith and family and arriving drivers can’t miss the colorful signage. A centerpiece is the massive oak tree itself, dated by an arborist to 1776, turning 250 years old this year along with the nation. Pause for a keepsake picture.

Allow plenty of time to explore the grounds. The gift shop and bakery can easily occupy an hour or two. We tried cider donuts, apple and blueberry pie, and a cream-cheese frosted cherry slice. The caramel apples had to wait for next time.

The restaurant’s specialty is chicken pot pie and it is delicious. We also sampled the egg-salad sandwich – yum – and homemade apple sauce and breads. Sarah told us the restaurant is a favorite gathering place for families, and a big draw for frequent motorcoach visitors.

Of the many highlights outdoors it’s fitting to first mention the Amaze N Apples – think of a corn maze except bordered by apple-bearing wall plantings instead of corn stalks. It’s the only one of its kind in the United States, set on four acres with a mile and a half of trails.

Kids will delight over the rides and playground. There are two little trains, including one made of barrels. Barns house the petting zoo, where children can get close to goats and sheep and rabbits and more. There’s a nine-hole mini putt course and an antique carousel. In keeping with tribal traditions in the area, a large teepee dominates the playground. Again, faith is a central theme. The teepee is adorned with Bible stories. Sarah explained the role of faith for her family.

“It’s been an anchor for us. We realize we are just stewards of this property and everything that’s been given to us. We do our best to take care of it,” she said. “We try to allow others to come and enjoy because it’s a gorgeous property and a blessing for families to come out and spend a day and take a break from the craziness of life. We try to be a blessing for them and a witness.”

The founding generation has passed, but she said her grandfather stayed active at the farm into his 90s. Her parents, Dennis and Renee Norton, joined the operation as the scale soared in the early 2000s. Their son Paul – Sarah says he’s the farmer of the family – his wife Meghan and their six kids signed on in 2003. Sarah threw in her lot in 2006, joined soon by her husband Justin Bell. The next generation already occupies key positions, carrying on a family farm tradition that has become an endangered species in America.

Everyone has a critical role yet no one is the boss. The family gathers to make decisions, with faith in each other.

Peak season is the last two weekends of September and the first couple in October but can go longer, depending on when a hard freeze arrives. For more information go to the website (royaloak.farm).

Royal Oak recently opened its first off-site shop at 450 S. Main St. in Walworth. We asked Sarah if that would become the farm’s next direction.

“If that model works well then maybe there’s more stores to open. We’ll see in the years to come,” she said, with a hint of caution amidst the madhouse busyness at the orchard.

Understandable. We got winded just watching everybody else hustle.