APPLE HELL

The Larson Farms Apple Barn and Museum is nestled into a small valley fold of the Sierra Nevada Foothills in the area known to us all as “Apple Hill.” From September through December every year countless thousands visit the oldest family owned operated farm in El Dorado County and enjoy delicious home made apple turnovers, pies, cookies, butters and delicious jellies made from the farms fruits. They feature peaches, pears, nectarines and a dozen varieties of apples. There is also a popular three acre picnic facility. The Larson Family Farm also features one other major attraction; a Museum, stocked with generations of antique farm equipment, doll houses, a covered wagon and countless other historical family treasures. For generations of families, this location has generated fond memories as an integral part of the undisturbed and beautiful Apple Hill experience; until last year, when hate came knocking at their door.

Last week I listened to a radio talk show discussing the closure of one portion of the Larson Farm Museum. At some point in the midst of their angry, good bye sweet America, what the hell is wrong with our country diatribe, it was mentioned that a sign had been posted in the museum advising visitors that the interactive farm area was now closed to everyone because it did not meet the necessary ADA requirements. This immediately got my dander up because I smelled a rat and wondered if this rat’s name was Nancy Pelosi with another one of her legislatively supported extortion plots by one of her legion of litigious ADA racketeers. I decided I had to check this story out for myself and investigate so yesterday I packed the car full of unwitting co-conspirators and made the short trek to Apple Hill, and a visit to the Larson Family Farm.

I found the sign at the Larson Farm hanging from a rope barrier at the rear of the museum leading to the large interactive farm equipment area. I hunted around and found a docent who was willing to talk with me. This kind older man told me he was the owner’s uncle and when I brought up the sign issue his body tensed and his lips pursed. It was painfully clear I had struck a nerve somewhere. He politely suggested I go talk with the owner Ray Larson about it. I suspected this was not going to be a pleasant topic for Ray and I had a feeling that this situation might be bigger then just the sign. I hate it when I’m right.

I located Ray in between two warehouses. He was feverishly loading bags of apples into a large wooden box that was sitting on the tines of a forklift. After introductions and a handshake I asked Ray if he could tell me about the sign and why it was there. Ray sized me up for a brief moment, probably trying to decide if my intentions were honorable, and after our conversation I can see why.

Sometime last year, a man came onto the Larson Farm and identified himself as a military veteran. Although he was himself not handicapped, he immediately started pointing out to the staff that there were several areas of the property that did not comply with the requirements set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act. He returned to the property several times, each time becoming more disruptive and demanding. The staff at Larson Farms had to call the Sheriff’s department on more then one occasion to have him removed due to his conduct. Eventually this man advised Ray that unless he paid a certain “Fee” of around $20,000 he would be sued and shut down for non compliance. Ray sought legal help and after plunking down five thousand dollars for an attorney he was told that a judge would probably rule against him and he most likely end up paying far more or worse.

Ray did receive support from, believe it or not, his insurance company, who offered to pay the costs for the corrections and then sue the plaintiff with company lawyers. All told, $40,000 was spent on ADA compliancy adaptations on the Larson property. After all was settled, Ray was forced to make the following ADA compliant corrections;

·        Make his wheelchair ramp 1% less steep. Yes. Larson Farms, who has one of the only wheel chair ramps to their apple house in the whole area had to tear it down and have it rebuilt because it had an incline angle that was 1% over what ADA regulations called for.

·        Increase the “turn around” space in the bathrooms provided for guests. The existing bathrooms had a 4 feet 6 inch turnaround; ADA requirements call for a 5 foot turnaround radius. The bathrooms had to be torn apart and rebuilt to add 6 inches.

·        Raise the display tables in his apple barn by one inch. The existing tables that held boxes of apples and jars of jellies and butters were one inch lower then ADA requirements.

·        Pave a dedicated walkway leading to a designated disabled picnic table on the three acre grassy picnic area.

·        What Ray hasn’t done yet is pave a network of concrete paths around his entire interactive farm equipment area, which looks to be about a half acre in size and has compressed gravel as a surface. Since he is technically not in compliance, allowing non disabled people to enjoy the equipment as they have done for years violates the ADA and MR. veteran ass hole has threatened to sue. Now it is closed and nobody can have access.

All this and not one handicapped person ever complained about the Larson Farm. Truth be told, it is one of the flattest, most easily accessible of all the properties in the area and Ray told me he receives 75% of all handicapped visitors in Apple Hill because he went to the expense years ago of building a handicapped accessible ramp, even if it was 1% too steep.

There are dozens of ranches and orchard farms in the Apple Hill area that are frequented by visitors this time of year. Not one of them is fully ADA compliant because it’s absurd to suggest, based on the terrain and the allure of the natural setting in the Apple Hill area that they should be, and not one handicapped person has ever suggested it either. It would ruin the area and all that it represents. They are at least as much, if not more sensitive to the wonderful experience natural surroundings provide all of us.

It is beyond absurd to me that we as citizens allow this type of extortion to go on. Every time legislation is proposed to cut down on these frivolous lawsuits and arm twisting, Nancy Pelosi and her communist’s kook balls in the California Democratic Party squash it because they receive mammoth amounts of money from the trial lawyers association to keep the money train running at the expense of good, honest, hard working people. The corrupt and despicable criminals in the California legislature have engendered an atmosphere similar to our emperor’s and have provided opportunities for other equally sleazy criminals to conduct overt racketeering operations. Too many good people are hurt or destroyed by these cretins and they have to be shut down.

Before I left the Larson property I walked back over to the sign with my daughter. Two children, a boy and girl about 10 and 8 years old respectively stood next to us and the boy said to his sister;

            “Dad says that because handicapped people can’t go out there, nobody gets to go.

            Girl- “well that doesn’t seem fair”

No it doesn’t. And it isn’t folks. Nobody, handicapped people included, wants others penalized or have their accesses reduced or eliminated because of ADA issues. It never been the law’s purpose and now good people suffer because of the actions of bottom feeders with Democratic Party government support. 

The last portion of the American’s with Disabilities Act reads, “Or whatever is reasonable” The good people of the Larson Family Farm certainly would have appreciated that consideration.