KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Since 1977, Louisburg Cider Mill has been a roadside staple in Miami County, Kansas.
The vision of Emmett O'Rear lives on through third-generation family owner-operators.
"We get apples from the Missouri River Valley, Michigan, Washington State, semi-loads at a time. During our busy season, we will be getting three loads of apples per day," said Susan Johnston, executive administrator at Louisburg Cider Mill.
But decades of owning a small business hasn't come without its challenges.
"We struggled with sourcing our raw materials like plastic bottles, caps, those materials that go into getting the product made," Johnston said of recent years.
However, Johnston said the cost of production has cooled down in 2024.
"This year, we haven’t struggled like we have," she said. "The apples are great this year; shipments are a little ahead of schedule."
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released new data Wednesday stating inflation is on the decline.
And while Yahoo Finance reports recreation costs are up 1.6% in the last 12 months, Johnston said inflated recreation costs won't hit consumers at Louisburg Cider Mill this season.
"We haven’t raised our price on any of our products this year. We’re happy about that," Johnston said. "In our country store and our family farm, there is an admission to get into the family farm. We left it the same price and were able to create new additions to our family farm this year."
Joshua Nevels, an Overland Park native visiting his family while on leave from the Army, said his family visits the cider mill every year.
“I appreciate them doing that for us because it’s nice to not have to worry about that on your family fun day," Nevels said of the cider mill not raising prices. "You get a great one-of-a-kind experience and your wallet stays the same.”
Most importantly, he said he cherishes the time his family spends together.
“To bring my kids back one day and to let them have the memories I have; I just hope I do as good of a job as my parents did," Nevels said.
Louisburg Cider Mill's corn maze, pumpkin patch and kids park opened its fall season on Friday.
Ciderfest is scheduled for the final weekend of September and the first weekend in October.
For more information on activities at Louisburg Cider Mill, click here.
Louisburg Cider Mill is located at 14730 K68 Highway, Louisburg, Kansas, 66053.
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