Discovering Southwest Michigan: Beaches, Orchards & Fresh Fruit
I love fruit. Fresh fruit, especially! Everywhere I travel, I always try to take advantage of the locally grown fruits available. Southwest Michigan was no exception.
During the summer and early fall months, I’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring the region around Fennville and Holland, Michigan. It’s a beautiful part of the Great Lakes region, with quiet country roads, sprawling farmland, orchards, and charming little towns along the shores of Lake Michigan.
What makes this region particularly special is the combination of beautiful beaches and fertile agricultural land. Places like Union Pier, South Haven, and nearby Michigan City, Indiana, attract vacationers from Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois during the warmer months.
I’ve personally visited the beaches of Union Pier and Michigan City, and I was pleasantly surprised by their natural beauty. Unlike many of Chicago’s beaches, which have been artificially constructed or replenished with sand, much of the shoreline along southwestern Lake Michigan features naturally occurring sandy beaches and dunes. Indiana Dunes National Park is a particularly impressive example.
But there’s another reason to venture away from the lakefront and into the countryside: fruit picking!
Southwest Michigan has a longstanding agricultural tradition, with locally owned farms and orchards offering visitors the opportunity to pick their own fruit directly from the source. Commonly referred to as U-Pick, it’s an activity that attracts families, couples, and fruit lovers throughout the growing season.
And during the fall, apple picking takes center stage!
Fruit Picking Seasons in Southwest Michigan
One of my favorite things about driving through the rural areas of Southwest Michigan is seeing fruit growing everywhere. I’ve passed small orchards with apple and cherry trees and fields of blueberries visible right from the quiet country roads.
While visiting friends and family near Fennville, I’ve even encountered wild blackberries and raspberries growing naturally around their properties.
The region is home to numerous U-Pick farms, orchards, and roadside fruit stands. From the Fennville and South Haven area down through Coloma, Benton Harbor, and Berrien Springs, visitors can find dozens of agricultural destinations offering seasonal produce, with many allowing customers to harvest the fruit themselves.
The following are some of the most popular fruits grown locally, along with their approximate harvesting seasons.
CHERRIES — LATE JUNE THROUGH JULY
Cherry picking is one of the first major orchard activities of the summer. Sweet cherries generally ripen from late June into July, while tart cherries (the preferred cherry for cherry pies) tend to become available somewhat later.
Michigan is particularly famous for its cherries, and although much of the state’s commercial production is concentrated farther north, Southwest Michigan also has orchards offering U-Pick cherries.
BLUEBERRIES — JULY THROUGH AUGUST
Blueberries are one of Southwest Michigan’s signature fruits, especially around South Haven and the surrounding countryside.
The region has numerous blueberry farms where visitors can pick their own berries, often from early or mid-July through August, depending on the variety and weather.
Unlike orchard fruits, blueberries grow on bushes, making them relatively easy to harvest by hand.
PEACHES — LATE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER
Peaches generally begin ripening in late July or early August, with different varieties continuing into September.
Fresh peaches are particularly special to me because I once grew my own organic peach tree in Chicago. After tasting a peach that had ripened fully on the tree, bursting with sweet juice, supermarket peaches were never quite the same!
Commercially distributed peaches are often harvested while still firm enough to withstand transportation and handling. That doesn’t necessarily make them bad fruit, but there’s something extraordinary about tasting one that has reached its peak ripeness on the tree.
RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES — SUMMER THROUGH EARLY FALL
Raspberries and blackberries are another delicious part of the local growing season.
Summer raspberries typically ripen around June and July, while certain varieties produce a second harvest extending into September or October. Blackberries are generally available from July through August, sometimes lasting into early September.
Both can be found growing wild around Southwest Michigan, although cultivated varieties are also available at select farms.
I’ve personally seen plenty of wild raspberries and blackberries around Fennville. There’s something satisfying about encountering fruit growing naturally, without anyone having planted it specifically for commercial production.
APPLES — LATE AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER
Apple picking is arguably the quintessential fall fruit-picking activity in Michigan.
The season generally begins in mid-to-late August with early varieties and continues through October. Some late-season harvesting can extend into early November, depending on the weather and orchard.
Popular varieties include Honeycrisp, Gala, McIntosh, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, and Evercrisp. During my visit to Crane Orchards, I had the luxury of picking a bunch the Mushu, Empire, Janogold, and Jonathan varieties. More about that in a moment!
Unlike some fruits with relatively short harvesting windows, apples offer an extended season because different varieties ripen at different times.
By September and October, many orchards also offer pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hayrides, apple cider, and other fall activities leading up to Halloween.
And that’s exactly what brought me to Crane Orchards in Fennville, Michigan!
Crane Orchards — A Family-Owned Orchard in Fennville, Michigan
Located in the countryside near Fennville, Crane Orchards is a family-owned farm with agricultural roots dating back to the 1880s.
The Crane family’s farming tradition has continued for six generations. In 1967, Lue Crane began promoting the family’s fruit through homemade fruit baskets, eventually expanding into cider, food, and other farm experiences.
Today, Crane Orchards specializes in U-Pick apples, peaches, and sweet cherries, offering more than 20 varieties of apples throughout the growing season.
In the fall, visitors can also enjoy a pumpkin patch, tractor-driven hayrides, and a massive 20-acre corn maze. The neighboring Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant is another longstanding family business, although it’s separately owned and operated.
The orchard is a working farm rather than simply a tourist attraction, and that was part of what made my experience so enjoyable.
MY FIRST APPLE-PICKING EXPERIENCE
I’d been wanting to go apple picking for quite some time.
My appreciation for homegrown food goes beyond simply enjoying fresh fruit. For several summers, I maintained my own organic garden in Chicago, growing fruits and vegetables and learning firsthand how much patience and attention it takes to produce healthy food.
My interest in gardening, holistic health, and the ability to grow my own food naturally made visiting an orchard particularly appealing.
But there was another reason for this trip. An even better one!
My mom, I kid you not, has eaten apples for breakfast practically every day for the past 30 years, and she’d never picked her own apples!
That was a tragic reality that I had to change.
So, at the beginning of October, my family and I headed to Crane Orchards for our first apple-picking adventure.
THE APPLE TASTING EXPERIENCE
Upon arriving, a parking attendant directed us to an available parking spot. From there, we approached the check-in area, which also served as a tasting station for the different apple varieties being harvested.
This was an excellent introduction to the experience.
An attendant helped us sample whichever apples caught our attention, cutting off slices so we could taste the different varieties before deciding which ones to pick.
Crane Orchards grows more than 20 apple varieties, although they’re not all available simultaneously. Early varieties begin ripening in August, while others aren’t ready until September or October.
During October, varieties such as Fuji, Golden Delicious, Ida Red, Cameo, Braeburn, and Evercrisp are among those that may be available, depending on the specific harvest dates.
We happily sampled several different apples, comparing their sweetness, tartness, and texture until we discovered a few favorites.
After enough free samples, we were ready for the best part.
Yanking apples off trees!
EXPLORING THE ORCHARD AND PICKING APPLES
Before heading into the orchard, we were given bags to carry our freshly picked apples.
For visitors planning to take home larger quantities, Crane Orchards also provides hand-pulled wagons to help transport the fruit. These are particularly convenient when you’re walking between rows of trees with bags that become increasingly heavy.
Each apple variety occupies a designated section of the orchard, so we made sure to locate our favorites from the tasting session.
After finding them, we took it upon ourselves to explore the rest of the property.
I was like a kid in a candy store!
The sheer number of apples was astonishing. There were dense clusters of fruit hanging from branches, with reds, greens, yellows, and countless shades in between. It felt like tasting the rainbow!
Some apples were enormous. Compared to the average apple you’d find in a grocery store, a few looked like they were on steroids.
Ironically, though, they were real apples growing right there on the trees. The earth did a great job with them.
As a first-time orchard visitor, I couldn’t believe how large the place was. Crane Orchards might be small compared to some major commercial fruit producers, but you couldn’t have told me that!
The rows of trees seemed to go on forever.
At one point, it took us nearly ten minutes of walking through the orchard to locate the section containing one of my favorite apple varieties from the tasting session. It felt like navigating a maze of fruit trees, each section revealing another impressive display of apples.
A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD
Walking through the orchard reminded me of something I’ve believed for years: we have an incredible ability to grow our own food.
Pruning, soil management, thinning fruit, controlling pests, and knowing when to harvest all contribute to a successful crop.
As someone who appreciates permaculture and growing plants in environments that encourage natural ecological balance, I’m particularly interested in how food production can work alongside nature.
Traditional orchards often contain large concentrations of the same or similar fruit trees, creating favorable conditions for certain insects and diseases to spread. Farmers have to manage those risks through various methods, including monitoring, pruning, biological controls, and, when necessary, pesticide treatments.
I experienced a much smaller version of that challenge while growing my own peach tree in Chicago.
As the peaches softened and approached peak ripeness, insects began taking advantage of the fruit. I learned quickly that producing a beautiful peach and actually getting to eat it before the bugs do are two different accomplishments!
Experiences like that gave me a greater appreciation for the work involved in maintaining a productive orchard. But more than anything, there’s something special about reaching up, choosing a ripe piece of fruit, and pulling it straight from the tree.
Apple Picking, Pumpkin Patches, and Fall Activities in Michigan
Although apple picking was the main reason for my visit, Southwest Michigan offers plenty of other autumn activities.
Throughout September and October, many local farms transform into seasonal destinations featuring pumpkin patches, hayrides, corn mazes, cider, and other harvest-related attractions.
Pumpkin picking is especially popular in the weeks leading up to Halloween, with families traveling from communities throughout Michigan, Indiana, and the Chicago area to participate in these fall traditions.
Crane Orchards combines several of these activities in one location, making it an appealing destination even for visitors who aren’t particularly interested in apples.
For anyone planning an autumn getaway, visiting a local orchard is an excellent way to experience the region beyond its popular Lake Michigan beaches.
Is Apple Picking in Southwest Michigan Worth It?
Absolutely!
Whether you’re a fruit enthusiast, traveling with family, or simply looking for something different to do during the fall, apple picking is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours outdoors.
For me, visiting Crane Orchards was about more than collecting bags of apples.
It was an opportunity to explore a beautiful working farm, taste different varieties of fresh fruit, appreciate the knowledge involved in growing our food, and share a memorable experience with my family.
And perhaps most importantly, my mom finally got to pick her own apples after three decades of eating them every morning!
If you’re exploring Southwest Michigan during September or October, consider stepping away from the lakefront for a while and visiting one of the region’s many locally owned orchards.
You might be surprised by just how much there is to discover.
And you’ll probably leave with more apples than you originally planned to take home!
