Celebrate National Blueberry Day with us on Saturday, July 8! National Blueberry Day is a day to spread awareness about the health benefits of this fruit. In addition to their great taste, blueberries are rich in fiber and loaded with antioxidants. From lowering cholesterol to promoting a healthy heart, various studies claim that eating blueberries every day can make a positive change to one’s lifestyle.
And National Blueberry Muffin Day on July 11th gives us a great reason to get up in the morning and celebrate! Americans love their blueberry muffins so much, it’s their number 1 favorite muffin flavor. Whether it is for breakfast or a snack, blueberry muffins are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Pick up some blueberries this week and make muffins! Or buy them already baked from our bakery!
Our Days and Hours
Our Days and Hours
–Open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm
–Open Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm
–Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and WednesdaysWatch our website homepage for updates or call us. (269) 244-5690.
Blueberries
Already Picked. We have already picked blueberries from Brookside Farms (our long-term blueberry supplier). We sell them in pints and quarts as well as 5- and 10-pound bulk boxes. Blueberry season typically lasts about six weeks.
U-Pick. Our small blueberry field is open for U-pick, keep in mind that it is really for the “experience”. There is a 5-pound picking limit per group. The field will be open during our regular hours Thursday through Sunday and closes 30 minutes prior to the market. You do not need a reservation to pick.
Current picking conditions: The berries are just starting, so despite the heat, there are not a lot of ripe blueberries yet. In another week to 10 days, picking will be better.
The field will be open as long as there are ripe blueberries. We may close the field some days to let them ripen.
It is best to call or check the website before you come to pick to make sure the field is open for picking. If you want to pick more than 5 pounds of blueberries, we recommend going to Brookside Farms in Paw Paw, (269) 657-3500.
Check in at the market first for containers and directions to the field. Pricing is $2.25 per pound. See our u-pick blueberry page for more information on our u-pick blueberries.
Cherries and More
Cherries
We are getting Black sweet cherries from Coloma (same farm that supplied us last year) and are available by the quart or bulk box. This is probably the last week we will have them.If you are interested in u-pick tart cherries, we recommend you try Shultz’s Fruitridge Farms in Mattawan (269-668-6109) who have them both already picked and u-pick or try another farm closer to you.
Sweet Corn and Green Beans are coming – probably another 7 to 10 days, patience please. Below, the green beans are beginning to bloom.
Alcohol Sampling and Live Music this Saturday
Sample Wine and Hard Cider, Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm
Sample our alcohol products or enjoy a wine pour or bottle of hard cider. Each Saturday, we feature several of our products to give you an opportunity to find the one that is perfect for you. Tastings are set up in our “breezeway,” the area adjacent to the market with tables and a small children’s play area.Alcohol Products
We have 8 different wines, 8 different hard ciders, and assorted fruit brandies. Our products are made on-site in small batches. We distill the brandies on the farm and use our fresh apple cider as the basis for fermenting our hard ciders.It’s blueberry season – a great time to try one of our semi-sweet, Blueberry hard ciders! This hard cider has become the most popular of all the ones we make.
While here, enjoy the live music by Steve Veldman from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Steve plays an eclectic mix of genres and styles on acoustic guitar, but specializes in traditional blues, bluegrass, old-time and folk music. Steve spent time nearly every summer with his grandparents at the lake, and his family has been a part of the surrounding lake community for four generations. He is now grateful to share that tradition with his own children. Note: To comply with copyright regulations, all songs performed will be works from the public domain.If you’ve stopped by the market, you will have noticed that we have several areas where you can sit and relax. The spaces may vary at times depending on our space needs around produce harvest. For years, people have been stopping by with friends and family to enjoy hanging out together at our vintage tables and chairs or picnic tables.
We invite you to use the space during business hours. It is ideal for a cup of coffee, hard cider, slushie, cold milk, or one of our other beverages. And there are many easy-to grab food items on the market to enjoy with a beverage such as: donuts (weekends), cookies, fry pies, cheese, meat sticks, crackers, pretzels, mustard, chips and more. We have disposable table service available for your convenience. Seating is available in several areas close to the market.
We can reserve table space for you upon request – just contact us. If you are coming with a group, letting us know in advance is helpful. And if it is a special occasion, like someone’s birthday, or family or friend reunion – that is helpful also.
Bring your friends, family, weekend visitors, and come on over!
Meet and Greet with Local Author – Save the Date
Saturday, July 15, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm
The Michigan Writers Cooperative Press (MWCP) recently announced the 4 winners of their annual chapbook contest, representing 3 different genres. Sharon Bippus is the winner in fiction for her story collection, This Blue Earth. We are very excited to have a local winner, and especially one who lives across the lake from the market.
Sharon will be at the market from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm to sign copies of her book, and to answer your questions.
Mark your calendar and join us to celebrate the work of this fine writer! Below Beth poses with Sharon and her book.
Join us for ‘Yoga at the Orchard’
We offer classes on Saturday mornings starting at 10:30 am throughout the summer $15 per person, all ages and yoga abilities welcome. For those of you who don’t know, Three Rivers is home to So Flexy Yoga and some of their instructors will be visiting us to teach on these weekends. Improve your health and body while making new friends and enjoying the views at the farm!
Check in with your instructor at the yard in front of the main farmhouse. You will receive a check-out slip to take to the market at the end of class that is also good for a free small slushie ($3 value).
We have two inviting spaces for you to relax in afterwards while you enjoy your slushie. Grab a bakery treat or even a hard cider or wine!
Bring bottled water, a beach-size towel, sunscreen, yoga mat, and shoes for walking to the class. Insect repellant as necessary. See webpage for details.
What is on the Market this Week
Produce
- Sweet cherries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries—hopefully both black and red
- Cucumbers and tomatoes from our greenhouse
- Mini tomatoes from our greenhouse
- Broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, yellow squash, kohlrabi, and other summer vegetables from our fields
- Beets and fresh dug potatoes
- Fresh greens and summer vegetables from Bankson Lake Farms: lettuce mixes, spinach, kale, arugula, mushrooms, radishes, Chinese cabbage, garlic scapes
- U-pick herbs
Faith in Flora will be here with fresh floral bouquets.
Below are sweet cherries and raspberries as well as the delicious candy cane beets!
Baked Goods
We will be making our famous blueberry zucchini bread at the end of the week. It has become one of our most popular products!
Enjoy these treats from our bakery (and the smell when we are baking!)
Saturdays and Sundays only:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Donuts – Buttermilk, Blueberry, and Cherry
- Yeast Ring donuts – assorted sprinkles and googly eyes
Anytime we are open:
- Strombolis (frozen, ready to bake) – assorted flavors in breakfast, traditional, and pizza styles
- Cookies – Assorted flavors you will surely enjoy!
- Muffins – A nice selection of flavors perfect for any time of the day
- Breads – assorted types plus hamburger and hotdog buns
- Fruit pies (frozen, ready to bake) – Apple, Dutch Apple, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, Pumpkin, and Strawberry Rhubarb.
Please contact us if you want to preorder any of our baked goods.
Grocery
Maple syrup products, honey, jams and jellies, salsas, yogurt, and Jake’s meats. We also have assorted cheeses, crackers, chips, mustard, eggs, milk, granola, and more.Yoder’s fry pies in your favorite flavors: Apple, Black Raspberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, Red Raspberry, and Strawberry Rhubarb.
We now carry “fresh from the farm” Blueberry milk!
Gifts
We just got candles in several summery scents. They are made by Flowerfield Candle Company, a small family business located in Three Rivers. They make garden inspired candles from sustainable soy wax. The candles are hand poured in small batches and are adorned with dried florals from their farm. They make the perfect gift! Even if the gift is just for you.
Happenings on the Farm
We finally got some rain! It was less than an inch, but still worthwhile. It was our first rain in 6 weeks. It will do wonders for everything growing on the farm – from apples to grapes to flowers to crops in the fields. Now we are hoping it won’t be another 6 weeks.
Apple Update
The apples are looking good so far. Below are the Lodi, the first summer apple of the season that will start mid-to late July. The MacIntosh are plentiful and already showing a pink blush.
Special Exhibit at the Local Library
A part of the Smithsonian exhibit is coming to Three Rivers this week. The Three Rivers Public Library, located at 88 N Main Street near Moore Street, is hosting “Spark! Places of Innovation Smithsonian Exhibit” from July 8 to Aug. 19, using a Michigan Humanities grant.
The traveling exhibit, which explores innovations that have come out of rural communities, is new and the library is only its second stop in Michigan. According to the Smithsonian website, it will be touring the country through 2029.
The exhibit is the story of human history is written in inventions and innovations. People are problem- solvers. Sometimes we invent. More often, we innovate—we introduce a fresh idea or an invention into use in some way that creates a new way of doing or thinking.
“The focus of this one is rural innovation. So small areas like ours, rural communities like ours and all the amazing things that we bring to the table,” Bobbi Schoon, the library director, said.
She said the library is also putting together a wraparound exhibit that will showcase innovations from Three Rivers.
Beat the Heat with an Ice Cold Slushie!
It has been a hot few weeks. And now there is evidence that ice cold slushies really do cool us off!
A New Zealand endurance athlete and exercise researcher says he has found an inexpensive way to cool the body before exercise. All you have to do is drink an ice slushie before exercising. And lowering your body temp in general on a hot day isn’t bad also!
Of course if you don’t want to sit back and enjoy a slushie, you can douse your head in cold water or take a cold shower!
Currently we have our own apple cider (just pure apple juice no sugar), tart cherry (just pure cherry juice—no sugar) and lemonade. One of the new favorites by many is mixing the cherry and the lemonade together!
Thank you for your continued support and for buying local. Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards wishes you a safe and happy summer!
