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Five years ago, the members of Jackson/Vinton County Farm Bureau came up with a good way to bring more income into their organization. The group approached the Jaycees who were in charge of the Jackson County Apple Festival about creating a collector’s basket for the festival. The first edition basket sold for $29.95 and was a small basket made by Carnation Basket Company, Alliance, Ohio. The Jackson/Vinton County Farm Bureau ordered 350 baskets the first year, but response was so high the organization had a waiting list for the second edition.

"This became a blessing to the Jackson/Vinton Farm Bureau's financial problems. The county was not broke, but they sure needed a boost in income and this definitely did it. The board decided to offer scholarships from some of the proceeds. This year we increased the scholarship amount to $500. Applicants must be either a junior or senior in college, first preference going to ag-related studies in either Jackson or Vinton County," Kim Harless, OFBF organization director for Scioto, Pike, Jackson and Vinton counties, said. "Each year we also donate a basket to the Jaycees to auction off at the end of the festival to help raise money for the next year, plus we give the Apple Festival Queen and her two court members a basket as a souvenir."

The county Farm Bureau ordered 400 of the second edition basket, and the response was still so great the county decided to make the basket a collector’s item. The Farm Bureau has kept the number of baskets limited to 400 each year. The second edition was similar to the first. The third edition basket was a little larger, and it was offered with an optional fabric liner and wood lid for $42, with the optional liner being $8. The fourth year, the Farm Bureau switched basket companies to Royce Craft Basket, Coshocton, Ohio. The county selected a basket/plastic protector/lid combination for $42 and offered an optional fabric liner for $10.

The 2001 basket was also a Royce Craft Basket. It was a bit larger, because it was the fifth-year edition. The basket/protector combination sold for $45 with an optional quilted liner for $12. The liners are made by Fine Liners, Urbana, Ohio.

"Each year we learn something new – what people like, what they don't like, lids or no lids, handles or no handles," Harless said.

Because the baskets are numbered, each year the same person gets the same numbered basket, unless they choose not to buy one. If someone from the previous years does not buy one then that number opens up for a new person. The Farm Bureau has seven baskets left from this year's festival. They can be purchased by calling the Jackson/Vinton Farm Bureau at 740-286-4598. Jackson/Vinton Farm Bureau has decided to only do the baskets for 10 years.

The Jackson County Apple Festival is held the third week in September.