Fruitbelt of the Midwest: Southwestern Michigan

Sixty miles of Lake Michigan shoreline form the basis of growing success for our agrarian southwest Michigan region. For visitors and residents alike, water is part of the magic as spring melts into days of abundant sunshine. Sparkling waves slap along the piers in New Buffalo, St. Joseph and South Haven. The sun transforms the scene again at dusk with spectacular sunsets framing the lighthouses of St. Joe and South Haven. The prism of multicolored hues filling the sky change by the moment, but make a lasting impression.

Our geology works for us. Whether passing along the expressway or on a quiet country road, you will notice row after row of fruits tree and vineyards. You have journeyed to the Fruit Belt of the Midwest. This is the where you taste fruit the way it was meant to be: fresh, sweet and juicy. Our proximity to Lake Michigan and the moderating effect of its prevailing winds create a later spring and extend the growing season into the fall. The high-acidity of the soil is perfect for blueberries and well-draining soil is ideal for grapes. South Haven is the Blueberry Capital of the world. Our many wineries have lead to reference as the Michigans Grape Southwest. If your group does not drink alcohol, you should still consider visiting a winery. The delicious fruit of the region makes for wonderful sparkling juices that are non-alcoholic. Here in the largest non-citrus growing region on earth, you will find sweet cherries, tart cherries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, pears, apricots, juice grapes, wine grapes, paw paws, raspberries and nectarines.

Fort Miami Heritage Society, housed in a lovely facility near downtown, is home to museum space, library, archives, classrooms and museum store. Exhibitions, public programs and events on local and regional history are featured throughout the year. Currently on display through the end of 2007 is a major exhibition on the fruit-growing industry in Southwest Michigan. “World’s Largest” – The Benton Harbor Fruit Market and Southwest Michigan’s Fruit Belt explores the role of fruit growing in the region and the importance of the Benton Harbor Fruit Market, once known as the largest cash-to-grower market in the world. The exhibition tells the compelling story of the way Lake Michigan created an ecosystem ideally suited to fruit growing and how the fruit industry has affected the cultural, social and economic history of the region.
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Executive Director Kenneth Pott states explains that this is a very timely subject because Michigan continues to lose valuable farmland every day, as massive developments dot the landscape where vineyards and orchards once stood. Moreover, many farmers who fought such sprawl ten years ago are aging and have no offspring to take over the family farm. We hope visitors to the exhibit will gain an appreciation for the environment and will understand the significance of buying local produce and taking advantage of ‘agri-tourism’ venues. Tours of the Fruit Belt exhibition can be combined with one of the many agri-tourism or U-Pick farms in Southwest Michigan for a complete experience.

The usual $5.00 group admission fee is reduced to $3.00 for motorcoach tours and is complimentary to both driver and escort. Payment is payable upon arrival with one-month advance booking. A staff member or docent will step on the coach to welcome you, upon request. Coach drop off and pick up is at the door with parking in lot on the east side of the building. Contact Ken Pott at 269-983-1191 or [email protected] Located at 708 Market Street, Fort Miami Heritage Center is handicap accessible. Hours are January through April: Tuesday-Saturday from 10am – 4pm and May through December Tuesday-Saturday from 10am – 4pm. May through September, they also open on Sunday from 1 – 4pm. Follow I-94 to Exit 27 (Niles Ave) go west. Niles merges with Main Street in St. Joseph. Building is on the right at corner of Main and Market. Visit them at www.fortmiami.org

For over 40 years, the hillsides of Tabor Hill Winery have grown European-style grapes and produced exceptional wines. Whether you arrange your visit for a tour and tasting or meal…or both, you will enjoy the ambiance, fine food, excellent service and award-winning spirits at this countryside winery. If you are looking for something special in a meal, Tabor Hill should be on your itinerary. The restaurant offers a gourmet menu that changes daily, with seating overlooking row upon row of grapes in the vineyard.

Contact Cathy Fielding at 800-283-3363 or 269-422-1161 to schedule your visit. For tours and tastings, group rates are $50.00-100.00, based on guest count. Advance payment in full is requested with booking from two weeks to nine months in advance. Advance payment date is negotiable. They will step on to welcome your group at the front entrance, where you may drop off and pick up passengers. The coach can be parked in the lot. For lunch or dinner, there is no advance payment and your spot may be booked six weeks to nine months in advance. Payment is due upon arrival, with lunch costs of approximately $20.00 per person and dinner approximately $40.00 per person. You will be offered eight to ten entrees from which you may pre-select four to five. The facility is handicap accessible. Take I-94 to Exit 16 (Bridgman), travel north one mile to Lake Street. Turn right and go east five miles to Hills Road. Turn right and follow signs for two miles.

The Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery is the dream-come-true of a man who left his position at wine master at another local winery to start one of his own. The entire Moersch Family is involved…father, mother, two sons and even the four little dogs who may greet you. The 1881 Post-and-Beam Barn houses a retail store and tasting bar. Inside, you will find wine, accessories and items such as blueberry or apricot vinegar. The winery’s namesake, a 1911 Amish Round Barn, was a failing structure in Indiana, begging to be saved when the family decided to buy it. They hired an Amish crew to carefully dismantled it, transport it to Michigan and reconstruct in on site. The main floor houses the Copper Bar for small meals and tastings, and the distillery, where fruit brandies are created. The upper level is for large events, such as weddings.

The family recently branched out from wines, cordials and brandies to brewing handcrafted beers. New for Spring of 2006, they will be producing a high-end estate vodka. Other opportunities include hayrides, two-part winemaking classes (grape picking in the fall and returning in spring to bottle and label your wine) and special events such as their Harvest Party, various summer concerts and the new BBQ contest. Last fall, the family opened a separate tasting room closer to Lake Michigan in Union Pier. Off the exit ramp, east across the expressway at I-94 Exit 6, it provides easy-on and easy-off if you are not interested in seeing the round barn or taking the guided tour at the winery. Adjacent their tasting facility is a building housing delicious orchard fruit from Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm, where you may see apple cider in the making in the fall.

Group rates are $5.00 per person for tour & tasting and are complimentary to both driver and escort. Payment at time of the tour is fine with booking up to one year in advance to reserve your date. They will step on the coach to welcome you. Food service is catered and pricing depends on your menu selection which is a wide variety ranging from a chef carving prime rib to box lunches. Coach may drop off and pick up passengers at the front of the Round Barn and park the coach in the lot. It is handicap accessible.

The tasting room is open 361 days a year, Monday through Saturday from 11am-6pm and Sunday from noon-6pm. Please avoid weekends from July until November at the winery. However, some Saturday mornings may be available for your group during this busy time. Contact the Moersh family at 269-422-1617 for visits to either location. The winery is located at 10983 Hills Road in the countryside of Baroda. Take I-94 to Exit 27 (Niles Road), turn south and follow to stoplight at Hollywood Road. Turn right and follow 8 miles to dead end. Turn left on Hills, go one mile, turn right at cemetery. Winery is 1/4 mile on the left.

Other area wineries include Lemon Creek Winery & Fruit Farm and it’s neighbor Domaine Berrien Cellars, both in Berrien Springs. St. Julian Wine Company in Paw Paw is the state’s oldest and largest winery. Karma Vista Vineyards in Coloma welcomes intimate groups of 10 or less.

The small town of Eau Claire sits 12 miles inland, but from one hilltop, you can see Lake Michigan. The orchards all around it are testament of its fruit-propagating properties. Family-owned-and-operated Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm is one of the largest in the region, sprawling 450 acres over the gently rolling hillside in Eau Claire. One of the star agri-tourism venues, twice-retired owner Herb Teichman and his family have been welcoming motorcoach visitors with warmth and friendship since 1969. Herb says they provide a unique experience by blending rustic nature with conveniences tour groups demand. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed with a taste of the “Fruit of the Day”. Following a short rest stop, it’s off to visit their 450-acre fruit garden!

On guided tours aboard your motorcoach or in their open-sided “Folkswagon” you will learn some history of the farm and how the geology contributes to the growth of so many delicious fruits and vegetables here. Often there will be a grafting, pruning or harvesting technique demonstration. Tours commence in early May coinciding with the Blossomtime Festival in St. Joseph/Benton Harbor. The orchards are in full bloom and the aroma is spectacular at this time.

Early in July you can pick your own cherries and have them washed and chilled before your departure. They can also be pitted, while you watch. July also brings a special event each year as the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championship occurs on the first Saturday. Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, it receives worldwide media attention. A small-scale pit spit can also be arranged with your coach in cherry season. In addition, your group could enjoy a home-style chicken lunch or dinner served in the shade of the Picnic Valley… that’s chicken with all the trimmings and a beverage, topped off with a fruit pie or tart for dessert. If you just need a snack, in the farm market Herb’s wife, Liz, often is behind the waffle iron making boat-shaped waffles covered with their own “Cherry Brite” topping.

Their Tree House Country Store is filled with a variety of packaged fruit products and merchandise. In the farm market you will find fresh fruit in season and a display of heritage apples. Among the 200 varieties of apples alone, Tree-Mendus grows many of these antique apples, which are small yet more flavorful than many of today’s large varieties. And speaking of varieties, the orchard tours are offered in variety, too, based on the interest of your group. There is the Rent-A-Tree program which allows you to come each year to harvest the fruit from your tree, while the rest of the year, Tree-Mendus will do the hard part to maintain your tree’s beauty and productivity.

Group rates begin at $3.95 and go to $19.95 per person, based on tour and meal options. Driver and escort both have complimentary visits. Meals require 30% down two weeks prior to arrival with the balance due the day of your trip. A $25.00 deposit is requested. You may book 30 days in advance, with exceptions.

The coach can be parked next to the market building or in the spacious parking lot, passenger drop off and pick up can be next to the market or in the lot, as you prefer. The facility is handicap accessible.

Opened in mid-June, Tree-Mendus’ new outlet alongside The Round Barn Tasting Room at Exit 6 of I-94 (Union Pier) offers fresh fruit as it ripens. This outlet is open from June until Thanksgiving. Hours may vary, so please check when you call to reserve a date to assure best reception for your tour. During early harvest, they will make apple cider from a blend of heritage and modern apples. Samples will be free. Call Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm at 269-782-7101 to schedule your visit at either location and visit their site at www.treemendus-fruit.com To learn which delicious sun-ripened fruit is in season, call for their Ripe-N-Ready ReportTM at 877-863-3276.

Cass County is inland but home to several large lakes and mostly rural countryside. A few miles south of Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm is Wicks’ Apple House. Here you’ll get a nice taste of the country. On this fruit and grain farm you will find five stores featuring quality products under one roof. Their farm market offers locally-grown fruits and vegetables. In the home-style bakery, folks are busy making wonderful fruit pies and scrumptious treats. The upscale gift shop combines perfumes, jewelry and local nautical souvenirs with country art prints. The cider press is busy in the fall making the yummy “Apple Squeezins” cider served in their Orchard View Restaurant. The restaurant serves great hot and cold sandwiches, quiches, soups, salads and homemade desserts. Summertime brings raspberry lemonade to the menu and in the fall, the apple cider will quench your thirst.

Both driver and escort receive complimentary meals. You may book a luncheon or visit two weeks in advance. Lunch payment is requested at the time of service. Food prices range between $5.00-$10.00 per person. If you request, a staff member will step aboard the coach to welcome you, otherwise feel free to go on in. Call 269-782-7306 and speak with owner Kelli Casey about your menu selections.

Memorial Day through Labor Day, hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 8am-6pm. Labor Day through Halloween, hours are Tuesday-Friday from 8am-5pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8am-6pm. See the cider press in operation weekends from mid-September to mid-October and get a free sample of cider. Wicks’ is handicap accessible. Located in the countryside at 52281 Indian Lake Road in Dowagiac, you may drop off and pick up passengers in the front lot and park in the spacious side lot. From I-94, take Exit 30, (Napier Ave) east 7-1/2 miles to M-140. Turn right and go south four miles to Columbia Ave. Turn left and go east three miles to Indian Lake Rd. Turn left and go north to entrance.

South Haven is thirty minutes up the coast from St. Joseph and blue is the prevalent theme in this bustling resort town: blueberries and blue water. Not far from Lake Michigan, is DeGrandChamps’ Blueberry Farm. Established by the DeGrandChamp family in the 50s, the original 12-acre blueberry farm has sprouted into 130 acres of coveted blueberries. This family-run operation includes a retail market, u-pick operation and nursery. In addition, there are 30 acres of cranberries in bogs rare to this region. The nursery division is one of the leading blueberry nurseries in the country and also features winter-hardy rhododendrons and azaleas.

DeGrandChamps is a wonderful place for a motorcoach visit with informative tours given by Mike DeGrandChamp or one of his brothers. You can take advantage of their u-pick blueberry picking, indoor farm market and packing tours. Next to the blueberry fields in the farm market building, you will discover a variety of tasty farm-fresh products made using their fresh blueberries and cranberries. These items may be purchased individually or combined in unique gift baskets. In the summertime, you will find for sale in DeGrandChamps’ market blueberry plants and hydrangeas when in bloom. Cranberry Harvest Day, the first Saturday of October cannot handle coach visits, however, call to see if arrangements can be made for your visit at a different time around early October. You will find fruit “direct from the bush to you” along with numerous other products and tasty samples of preserves. The modern processing and packaging plant can be seen on the tour.

Both driver and escort will receive complimentary blueberries to take home with them. Please book at least one week in advance. Staff will step on the coach upon your arrival. There is no charge for tours. Coach drop off and pick up are at the market parking lot right at the door. The coach may be parked elsewhere in the lot. The farm is handicap accessible. Take I-196 to Exit 18 (M-140) and turn left onto 14th Avenue (by the Shell Station) and follow across Blue Star Highway. The market building is on the southwest corner,
at 76241 14th Avenue. Contact them at 888-483-7431, 269-637-3915 or visit the web at www.degrandchamps.com

Living in this agrarian locale, the population seems ripe to celebrate everything that grows under the sun! Hence a myriad of festivals dot the calendar from May to October. While most are small community events, one worth noting from a group travel perspective is the Blossomtime Festival.

Michigan’s oldest and largest multi-community festival is The Blossomtime Festival, with its notable parade held the first Saturday of May. This is a beautiful time of year as Mother Nature usually cooperates by bringing into bloom acres of fruit orchards. The sight of tree upon tree in a profusion of white or pink petals is surpassed only by the heavenly fragrance released by the fragile blossoms. It is a perfect time to attend the Grand Floral Parade and later enjoy a blossom tour at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm. A visit to the two-year Fruitbelt Exhibit is another wonderful complement to this itinerary.

2006 was a centennial year for our heart-warming Blossomtime Festival. Begun in 1906 to celebrate our agricultural industry, it includes 24 rural communities. The Grand Floral Parade is two hours long and features over 125 units, including floats with community queens and their courts, bands, clowns, costumed characters, antique cars and special units. 250,000 spectators enjoy this colorful parade that travels from St. Joseph across the river into Benton Harbor. Reserved group bleacher seating is available at a cost of $ 3.00 per person and can be reserved 30 days in advance. Payment is due at time of booking.

Both driver and escort are complimentary. A staff member or docent will step on board to welcome you.

A special opportunity exists for motorcoach groups: the Celebrity Brunch. This is a wonderful pre-parade experience. Brunch consists of a buffet with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, fruit bowl, assorted breads and coffee. Attending this brunch will be the honorary grand marshals and dignitaries who will appear in the parade, the 24 community queens, Miss and Mr. Blossomtime and their courts. Special guests will be the Indianapolis Motorcycle Drill Team, making their 43rd appearance leading the parade.

Brunch will be held at 9am. Coach parking during brunch is on site in the lot. A police escort will depart the brunch site at 11:45am to the parade site where the coach will be parked at the reviewing stand area directly behind the reserved bleacher seating. Bleacher seating is not handicap accessible, but for those in need of handicapped seating, front row seats will be provided. Please advise when purchasing your tickets. Food service is available from street vendors at prices less than $8.00 per person or you may select an area restaurant nearby.

For motorcoach operators involved in Student Travel, marching bands and performing bands are welcome to be a part of the Grand Floral Parade. An entry form can be downloaded from their website at www.blossomtimefestival.org Please contact the festival office at 269-926-7397 with any questions. Check their website for updates on all activities.

The Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council happily will assist you in planning a group visit to our region, whether it be for a quick meal stop en route to another destination, a day trip or a multi-day tour.

The Group Planner, tri-county map, photo CD and itinerary assistance are yours for the asking. Free hotel/motel bids can be requested under Helpful Links on our website (www.swmichigan.org) or by calling Vicki Dunlop at 269-925-6301. Personal fam tours are available if you would care to see attractions or accommodations first-hand, state fams through Circle Michigan and regional fams may be available annually based on itineraries. We’re here because we love southwestern Michigan and are anxious to share it with you. Come to the Great Southwest!

By Vicki Dunlop – Group Director at the Southwestern Michigan Tourism Council.