Champagne Orchard of Opportunity: Cultivating Growth

Few stories better illustrate entrepreneurial resilience than those of the Dixon’s Apple Orchard owners-the Mullane family. Dixon’s Apple Orchard has a long history in New Mexico and was once one of the state’s most recognized apple-growing operations. The orchard was located near Peña Blanca, north of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande corridor, and became especially famous for its unique Champagne Apple, a variety discovered growing wild in a New Mexico canyon and cultivated by the family for generations.

The family built one of New Mexico’s most beloved agricultural destinations, dating back to 1944 and their orchard was more than a business; it was a treasured tradition for families throughout northern New Mexico.  Then disaster struck. A devastating wildfire, followed by severe flooding in 2011, destroyed much of the orchard and ultimately made it impossible for the family to continue operating in New Mexico. Faced with the loss of their home, livelihood, and decades of hard work, many business owners might have just called it- the end period! Instead, the Mullane family chose a different path. Becky Mullane described the fire and subsequent flooding as the fall forward event that ultimately led them to relocate and rebuild.

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