We have 8 varieties of u-pick and pre-picked cherries, as well as fresh flower bouquets and U-pick thornless raspberries. In 2006, we bought 53 acres of property in Northern Michigan, 400 miles away from home in Indianapolis. Most of the land consisted of decrepit cherry trees; a lot of work had to be done before the property would produce a product. Like in a backyard garden, the existing orchard
had to be pulled and the soil prepared. But instead of a three foot tomato plant, this was twenty- five acres of densely planted trees, all ready to be pulled from the ground and burned. Piles of rocks, buckets of sweat, and several summers later, the soil was ready to be tilled. We churned the dirt with used equipment that was purchased on local farm auctions and then planted crops from mustard to winter rye to towering grasses; each sacrificial planting- eventually tilled under to enrich the earth for the orchard to come. During this process, we enlisted the help of local growers who became mentors: researchers at the Michigan State University, professionals in pest management, and local residents all participated . After four years, our little piece of heaven was finally ready to become a sweet cherry orchard, complete with a small polebarn to safely store the equipment and supplies. The first shipment of 1,750 young cherry trees arrived in 2010. Next came surveyors, a well, electricity, irrigation piping, deer fences, bug control, weeding, mowing, white paint on the trunks to prevent winter sunburn, and the constant pruning of rebellious trees. Two more shipments of trees followed in 2011 and 2012, bringing our total to approximately 9,500 cherry trees today. The vision for the orchard was refined over time. We want a place where families can participate with the growth and harvest of this uniquely tasty, nutritious and beautiful fruit. Cherries only thrive in very specific climate conditions near the 45th parallel and unlike apples, the delicate fruit is impossible to store. Fresh sweet cherries are thus available only during the summer season. The cherry harvesting season is as anticipated and temporal in Northern Michigan as is the lakeside summer that it defines for anyone familiar with this part of the country. We want to provide an orchard where others can create strong memories of sharing a bowl of cherries with friends and family on a summer evening, where they can track the progress of the orchard over a season, where they can stop by and pick a handful of this amazing fruit right from the tree.
