Our family visited Almar Orchards in Flushing yesterday afternoon. From our home in Farmington, it was a pleasant 1+ hour trip. The sun was shining and the wind was down – a perfect day to pick some apples and drink some cider.
Why did we drive so far out for apples when there is an orchard within throwing distance in any direction of our home? This journey was based on what this orchard lacked. No bounce houses, no corn maze, no flea market/craft shows, and most importantly no pesticides! We were after organic apples – something I cannot find outside a grocery store in the Detroit area. According to the latest research, apples top the list of the ‘dirty dozen’ fruits and vegetables. That means, if you can’t eat organic, pass them up for something safer. Apples are susceptible to many threats, be it a bug or fungus, so conventional farming practices involve a whole lot of spraying of toxic chemicals to keep their apples looking like supermodels. In the past it was recommended to simply peel the apple, but now it has been shown that the pesticide residues are showing up in juice and apple sauce. This is a case where skipping that apple may keep the doctor away.
If you’re like us, you cannot imagine an autumn and winter without apples! Most markets in the area don’t seem to offer much selection in organic apples so we went to the source. After doing some research (thank you, Google!) I found that Jim and Karen Koan, the owners of Almar Orchards, are doing some incredible stuff in the name of organic and sustainable farming. We were excited to see it in action.
When we arrived, we were amazed to see that while the place was obviously busy, it was easy to find a parking spot and stroll around. We did have a hard time at first trying to figure out the lay of the land. You need to go inside the farm store to grab bags or boxes to put your apples in. They weigh them after picking – something I haven’t seen done in a decade near the house. We hopped on the tractor wagon and were taken maybe a quarter mile down the road to the varieties they were picking that day.
We chose the Braeburns since we love a crisp, tart apple both for eating and cooking. The kids loved running down the lane picking apples and looking at the ‘funky apples’ that had either been feasted on by some happy bug or had just a few too many brothers and sisters hanging out with them while they grew. It was a joy to teach our kids that apples don’t have to be perfectly round and spot-free to be delicious and healthy for them!
28 pounds of apple-goodness later, we were back on the wagon. The tractor driver was a very friendly guy who was happy to talk to us about the benefits of organic farming and the trials and tribulations of growing near conventional farms. We also learned that the farm has been organic for 10 years and is the largest organic orchard this side of the Rockies. They had their inspections just the day before and he was pleased to share with us that they passed with flying colors. This man clearly enjoyed his job – it was written all over his face. I think the apples will taste even better now.
If you crave an orchard without all the “bling”, visit Almar Orchards. They are certainly worth the drive to support local organic agriculture.
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