Remembering Birch Creek Orchards

Recently, I have been reading a book by Barbara Kingsolver titled "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."  This book is truly inspiring and focuses on harvesting local foods to reduce the amount of fuel used to transport foods all over the U.S.  She also emphasizes eating foods only when they are in season.

Over Labor Day weekend, we took a trip back home to Jeddo, MI for my cousin's wedding (shout out to the beautiful bride Sarah Lawson!!).  While there, my uncle Mike invited us to his house to pick fresh peaches, apples and pears.  I was thrilled! This was my chance to eat locally and harvest fruit while it was in season! No more California fruit for me!  I took my husband and kids and we picked away. We filled boxes full of fruit and ate the fruit right off the tree! It was a special treat for me.

Then it hit me, sadness...see friends, growing up my family helped operate Birch Creek Orchards in Jeddo, Mi.  Everyone in my family helped!  Even the smallest family members worked.  I vaguely remember my grandpa standing me up near the conveyor belt and telling me to pick off the bad apples, "one bad apple will ruin the bushel," he'd say.  I am pretty sure I had no idea what a "bad apple" looked like and just randomly selected apples for the trash!  We made donuts, apple cider and allowed guests to pick their own fruit off the trees.  The orchard, as we affectionately called it, was the center piece in my childhood.

The trees that we picked fruit from over Labor Day weekend are part of the few remaining trees from Birch Creek Orchard.  The orchard is no longer productive and houses and driveways now plow through the land.  It's upsetting to see.  Friends, we need to value our land, value our farmers and value the incredible soil of Michigan that yields so much.

Today is my Grandpa's birthday, Walter, he would have been 78.  In honor of him, I share with you the following:  homemade apple pie and homemade peach cobbler (above).  All of the fruit was picked locally from my Uncle Mike's yard.  These trees grew under the hard work and direction of my family, particularly my grandpa.  They are his legacy and I am so thankful that they are still productive today!