“And so, the spring buds burst, and so I gaze.”

We’ve seen spring come to the orchard every year as far back as we can remember, and it is a sight we never grow tired of.  The beauty is stunning!  When you drive by, there is all kinds of beauty to behold.  There is nothing lovelier than seeing acres of orchards in bloom, giving us hope for another season.

Our Pear orchard is in full bloom, which is a nice change after losing them last year to cold weather.
Some of the early apples are just beginning to bloom.  Honey bees and flowers, please.
Sadly, the cold week in January with subzero temperatures froze out almost all the peaches in southwest Michigan.  Other than that, we’re seeing very minimal freeze damage from our fairly mild winter for which we are grateful.
Shop this Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm
We were able to pick some (about 80 pounds) asparagus and will have it for sale this Saturday.  We will not be officially open for the season, but will be open from 10am to 2pm that day for market sales.

Asparagus: Sold in 1- or 2-pound quantities only (limited amount while we wait for more to get ready).  We want everyone to have a taste of Spring before we start doing larger amounts.  We expect to sell out, so if you want to have us hold some for you, please call us at 269-244-5690.

After Saturday, we will not have it until it gets warm again which looks to be a week away.  Follow us on Facebook to see when we pick next or call us.  269-244-5690
Bankson Lake Produce:  We will have fresh spring vegetables – Just Lettuce, Spicy Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Radishes, Mushrooms, Swiss Chard, Mini Bok Choy, and Carrots.
Baked Goods:  Frozen baked goods in the freezer – “take and bake” fruit pies and stromboli’s, and “take and thaw” donuts, apple crisp, and cookies.

Alcohol:  We will also have our alcohol products of hard ciders, wines, and spirits.
Asparagus and Market Update
The earlier than usual warm weather may cause crops to mature about 10-14 days earlier than normal.  Of course, that can all change quickly!

We anticipate opening the market on Thursday, May 2nd and hope to have asparagus and rhubarb available to sell.  It takes these crops a stretch of nice warm days to really get into production, so we will have limited quantities as we start the season.  There will just be enough to make sure everyone can get a taste of spring before we are able to pick larger quantities.

If we can pick any asparagus to sell prior to our official opening day, we will post that on Facebook for asparagus pickups.  Follow us if you don’t already or call us at 269-244-5690.

If you need something in the meantime, please call us to schedule a shopping appointment.  269-244-5690. 

When We Open for the Season…
For our opening weekend, we will have a limited amount of baked goods (cookies, muffins, and some breads) along with our frozen” take and bake” pies and strombolis.  We will be adding additional items prior to Mother’s Day weekend (May 11/12).

Our local artists will be bringing Spring and Mother’s Day art and gift items to display on the market.

We will have our alcohol products stocked for you, wine, hard ciders, and spirits!

Bedding Plants & Hanging Baskets
Reminder, we are no longer carrying bedding plants (vegetables or flowers) but we will have a nice selection of hanging baskets.  Our long-term greenhouse supplier, Schram’s, is no longer in business so we will be getting flowers from another local greenhouse in Portage.  They carry many of our favorites and some new ones!
What’s Happening on the Farm
Spring is a Busy Time
Spring is always a very busy time on the farm.  We are planning for where crops will be planted, seeding vegetables in our greenhouse, beginning to plant, equipment being made ready for use, and lots of “spring cleaning” throughout the property and buildings.  Beth feels like she is a walking spreadsheet, trying to keep track of it all!Our 25,000 onion plants are ready to go into the field next week along with our cold crops, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and such.  We will wait for the low temperature coming this weekend to be behind us.
Below Alicia is giving the onion plants their last “haircut.”  This is their third time; we do this to strengthen the plant before it leaves the greenhouse environment and goes into the real world (where there is wind and cold and…..)
New Food Items
Beth and Kate attended the Lapari food show in Novi yesterday to get a look at what’s new in the world of groceries and baked goods.How fun (and filling) to spend several hours sampling everything!  Look for some new items at the market later this year!
Field Work
For those of you wondering, we are removing a grape vineyard on the north side of Corey Lake Road just west of the market.  It has been out of production for several years.  We will plant another crop there.
Utility Work
And if you are wondering why there are trucks and crews from the power company parked along AL Jones Road each day, they are NOT part of anything we are doing here at the farm!
Thank you for your continued support and for buying local.  Everyone at Corey Lake Orchards wishes you a happy spring!
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