Guide To Northern Michigan Fruit Farms

July 15, 2016

We live in a bountiful belt of orchards and farms that bear some of the best fruit in the nation — why would you spend a second of your summer standing in a grocery store line to buy berries? This summer, make it your mission to pluck your local produce fresh from the trees and bushes in Up North’s big backyard — or easier yet, already picked, packed and ready to go at your local farm stand. Here’s a sampling of where you can find the freshest U-pick and fresh-picked fruit around northern Michigan:

ALTONEN ORCHARDS
Elk Rapids
11882 S. US-31; 231-264-8052
MORE INFORMATION: michiganfruit.com
The Altonen family has been growing fruit in northern Michigan since the 1940s, and today owns over 600 acres of land where you’ll find over 20 varieties of apples and other fruits.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, plums

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BLUEBERRY FOREST FARM
Elmira
3436 Tobias Rd.; 231-676-0940
MORE INFORMATION: michigan.org/property/blueberry-forest-farm
Just like the name says, blueberries are the order of the day — almost every day — at Blueberry Forest Farm. The farm’s been in operation since 2001 and offers U-pick blueberries Mondays through Saturdays, late July through August.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: blueberries

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

BUCHAN’S BLUEBERRY HILL
Traverse City
1472 Nelson Rd.; 231-223-4846
MORE INFORMATION: buchansblueberryhill.com
Now run by its fifth generation, this hilltop blueberry hub offers a host of valueadds: along with its fruits, you can enjoy its locally famous blueberry ice cream, farm-pressed apple cider, and a drive to and from this Old Mission Peninsula destination that’s absolutely breathtaking.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: blueberries, peaches, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

EDMONDSON ORCHARDS
Traverse City
12414 Center Rd.; 231-223-7130
MORE INFORMATION: Find them on Facebook
Mario Batali’s favorite Balaton Cherry Juice reportedly originates at this orchard, which also features fresh sweet and tart cherries, apples, and a range of other stone fruits.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FARMER WHITE’S
Williamsburg
11373 US-31 South; 231-631-1500
MORE INFORMATION: farmerwhites.com
In addition to fresh berries, apples, and other fruits, Farmer White’s also offers cherry concentrate, dried cherries, and sweet jellies and jams made from secret White family recipes.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, plums, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

GALLAGHER’S FARM MARKET
Traverse City
7237 E. Traverse Hwy (M-72 W) 231-947-1689
MORE INFORMATION: gallaghersfarmmarkettc.com
Winners of the Very Cherry Promotion Award from the National Cherry Festival, this family owned farm has been running since 1971. In addition to plenty of fruit picking, you can also visit their adorable farm animals.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: strawberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

GUNTZVILLER’S BERRY AND VEGETABLE FARM
Elk Rapids
11122 US-31 South; 231-264-9575
MORE INFORMATION: Find them on Facebook
The Guntzviller family offers berries to pick or buy fresh, or already baked into their own pies, but you also can pick up one of their popular water bottles infused with strawberries or mint.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HAHNENBERG FARM MARKET AND CIDER MILL
Lake Leelanau
614 S. Lake Leelanau Dr.; 231-994-2224
MORE INFORMATION: Find them on Facebook
Don’t be too distracted by those sweet scents coming out of Hahnenberg’s market — you’ll have plenty of time to check out the home-baked goods after you decide which of their fresh varieties of fruits you want to buy.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: apples, cherries, strawberries

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HOXSIE’S FARM MARKET
Williamsburg
6620 M-72 East; 231-267-9087
MORE INFORMATION: hoxsiesfarmmarket.com
Hoxsie’s offers a half-dozen U-pick varieties in the fall, including MacIntosh, Ida Red, and Northern Spy, plus tart and sweet cherries, pumpkins, and other diversions like a corn maze, apple cannons, and wagon rides.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

JACOB’S FARM
Traverse City
7100 E. Traverse Hwy. (M-72 West); 231-632-6293
MORE INFORMATION: jacobscornmaze.com
Jacob’s has been in operation in one form or another since 1892, but its current incarnation sports a behemoth corn maze and a range of fruits, including the unusual-for-Up-North Saskatoon berry, a nutritious super fruit.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: raspberries, saskatoons, peaches, pears, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KING ORCHARDS
Central Lake/Kewadin
4620 North M-88/986 US-31; 231-544-6479
MORE INFORMATION: kingorchards.com
Montmorency cherries, the traditional cooking cherry, are available at King Orchards two farm markets, along with several varieties of sweet cherries, stone fruits, and products like cherry salsa, jams, jellies, and unpasteurized apple cider.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: apples, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears, plums

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

KITELEY’S FARM MARKET
Charlevoix
3805 Brock Rd.; 231-547-2318
MORE INFORMATION: kiteleyfarms.com
Only a mile away from Lake Charlevoix, this flower-filled farm run by the second generation of the Kiteley family keeps the fruit focused on berries and also offers a small variety of vegetables and herbs.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: strawberries, raspberries

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MCMANUS SOUTHVIEW ORCHARDS
Traverse City
313 Garfield Rd; 231-946-5867
MORE INFORMATION: facebook.com/McManusSouthviewOrchards
Buy them already picked or pick them yourself, but either way, be prepared for the huge abundance of cherries at Mc-Manus this year — the farm reports that its cherry crop is “unbelievably large” for the 2016 season.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RENNIE ORCHARDS
Williamsburg
11221 Munro Rd.; 231-264-8387
MORE INFORMATION: rennieorchards.com
From the many varieties of cherries available to pick in the summer, to theHoneycrisp apples in the fall, Farmer Sandy Rennie offers fruit fans a fat range of U-pick produce, and if you happen to be out of the area, will even ship fresh fruit to you.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries, peaches, pears, apricots, apples

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ROSENTHAL ORCHARDS
Charlevoix
03724 Barnard Rd.; 231-547-4350
MORE INFORMATION: rosenthalorchards.com
Pick up a bucket and get pickin’ at Rosenthal, whether your fruit of choice happens to be sweet cherries, pie cherries, or apricots. But before you go, pick up some honey from Rosenthal’s own hives to drizzle atop your bounty.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries, apricots

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ROYAL FARMS
Ellsworth
10445 North US-31; 231-599-3222
MORE INFORMATION: royalfarmsinc.com
Cherries and stone fruit rule at Royal Farms, but this quickly expanding Ellsworth icon also boasts a brand new wine and cider room, as well as a bakery that cranks out caramel apples, homemade fruit pies, cakes, and donuts.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: apples, cherries, peaches, strawberries, nectarines

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SANTUCCI FARM
Traverse City
11789 Center Rd.; 517-974-7233
MORE INFORMATION: Find them on Facebook
Montmorency and Balaton cherries are available at this can’t miss country retreat — stop when you see a white barn sporting a painted folk-art cherry. Bonus: The farm’s cherry-pitting machine is available for customers too.
FRUITS AVAILABLE: cherries

Tis the Season

Here’s when your favorite fruits are ripe for the pickin’ in northern Michigan:

May to July: Strawberries
June to late July: Cherries
July to early August: Currants
July to August: Peaches
July to August: Blackberries
July to August: Nectarines
Late July to August: Blueberries
July to September: Raspberries
July to September: Plums
Late July to mid-August: Apricots
August to October: Pears
August to late October: Apples