Christmas Cove Farm in Northport

What fun to find an antique apple farm up on the Leelenau Peninsula.  John and Phyllis Kilcherman have delved into the history of apples and have cultivated and sold more than 200 varieties of these juicy specimens, many of which origins date back centuries ago. They say the Spitzenburg apple was Thomas Jefferson's favorite. Located near Northport, Kilcherman's Christmas Cove Farm also has a phenomenal collection of more than 10,000 soda bottles from days long ago. "John the Apple Man" and Phyllis send out gift boxes of all sorts of apples with the history on each variety. They've been written up in the New York Times and the Free Press. This four generation 80 acre farm makes some incredible unpasteurized cider, too. Thanks, Hal Evans, for the photo.

Romeo's Westview Orchard, Cider and Corn Maze

Michael Bowerman began this Romeo farm in 1813 and his offspring--6th and 7th generation--proudly carry on the tradition.  Brian gave us an awesome tour showing us the creek that his great great great great great great grand daddy would follow in order to trade with the Indians.  They use underground irrigation to water their crops. We enjoyed the animals to pet, hay wagon rides, cider, honey, peach flips, ice cream, cheddar chive bread, a peck of apples, and apple cherry butter.  Want a pumpkin? They have wagons out in the field for you to pick one out then pull it back in a toy wagon.  Our favorite thing is their corn maze--actually they have three of them with one running at night, so bring your flashlight. This is a beautiful bicentennial farm!

Franklin Cider Mill in Bloomfield Hills

The Franklin Cider Mill dates back to 1837--that's the year Michigan became a state! Everywhere you look it is a feast for the eyes--watching the press squeeze the juice out of the apples, the giant waterwheel, the pies, breads, donuts, jams, honey and vinegar, not to mention the babbling brook. They are open seven days a week through Thanksgiving weekend in Bloomfield Hills. We saved the best for last--the delicious fresh apple cider made without preservatives. It is superb!

Michigan Apple Trail

Have you seen the various artistically painted supersized apples around the Detroit area?  They are part of Michigan's Apple Trail.  Individually decorated by various artists, they celebrate our great apple harvest and our wonderful local produce. You can see them at the following farmers' markets: Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Clawson, Dearborn, Eastside, Eastern Market, Eastern Market Tuesday, Farmington, Flint, Franklin, Garden City, Lake Orion, Milford, Northwest Detroit, Novi, Rochester, Royal Oak, Wayne State and Wyandotte. The two above represent Eastern Market. All the images and voting tallies are on-line. The results were made known at the big Apple Gala Event last weekend in Eastern Market's Shed 3 where all the giant pieces of fruit were auctioned off.

Miller's Big Red Greenhouses

Miller's Big Red Orchard and Cider Mill is the oldest U-Pick apple orchard in Michigan. Located on 32 Mile Rd in Romeo, they offer many homemade delectable items in their kitchens like pies, jams, jellies and breads as well as donuts to go along with their cider made on the premises. Thousands enjoy their haunted hayrides and corn mazes in the fall. There's even a petting farm for the little ones!