Orchard Talk

Jim and Rose, 2010 National Cherry Queen Maria LaCross, John and Betsy

Here we are receiving from the National Cherry Festival the 2011 Very Cherry Promotion Award! We are very proud to of this! Thank You!

Excerpt by Richard Lehnert of Good Fruit Grower Magazine:

The National Cherry Festival Committee gave two awards during cherry industry meetings in Traverse City this week.

The Very Cherry Promotion Award went to John and Betsy King and Jim and Rose King, who grow fruit, operate two farm markets, and run a successful Internet business in which innovative tart cherry products play a big part. King Orchards, Central Lake, Michigan, sells such products as dried cherries, cherry juice concentrate, and Balaton cherry salsa, as well as more conventional products such as pie fillings. They avidly promote the health benefits of tart cherries.

Tags: cherry promotion, cherry queen, market, Our Websites

Our markets are full of quality apples. It is the time of the year to visit and stock up for winter. Here are a couple of enticements! Jonagolds 1/2 bushels are on sale for $9.00. Sauce apples $6.00 1/2 bushel. Squash $6 to $8 1/2 bushel. Hubbard squash is our specialty. The markets are open 7 days, 9 to 6 now until Saturday Oct 30. Starting Sunday Oct 31 through the month of November Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm. Sunday 12pm to 4pm at the M-88 market with he US 31 market will be closing around Nov 15th. At M-88 we will be closed Thanksgiving day but open Sunday Nov.28 noon to 4pm. We are open at the M-88 market into December watch for hours

Tags: market

Charlevoix Apple Fest is this coming week-end, Oct 8 9 and 10. We will line the main street with apples and apple goodies. The town is packed and fun is had by all! Beautiful fall days with the tree colors just peaking. We are in for a wonderful week-end!

Tags: market

The Honeycrisp are beautiful! Apple season is coming so fast. We have in the market McIntosh, Gala, Cortland, Mutsu, Jonagold, Northern Spy, Bosc Pears and Stanley Prune Plums. Squash, cornstalks, gourds and pumpkins. Fall is here!

Tags: market

Yes, our apple u-pick is going quick. With the combination of an early season and not as many apples as usual the season for apple picking will probably only last until any longer than the 29th or 30th of September. So lets hope for nice weather for our last week-end of u-pick apples. Now we will have lots of apples in the coolers and our markets will be full with apples until November. Don’t forget to ship the gift pack of apples to the “apple of you eye”! Betsy

Tags: market

The temperatures have dropped and I’m hankering for an apple! Football, cool weather, and labor day makes it feel like fall. This summer was so warm and wonderful but I’m ready for apples, squash and plums. Ginger Gold and Sanza apples are in and we are getting ready to ship. I have new packaging and quality apples to make things wonderful. Think about shipping a package to your favorite person, $25.00 for the apples plus shipping. Don’t wait long the Ginger Gold and Sanzas don’t stick around for long. The first of the squash is in, and now that it is cool we can turn the oven on to cook it. Raspberries are going wild. We pick 116 pints. Were are all those raspberry u-pickers. I’m sticking a bunch in the freezer for raspberry muffins this winter. Off to a football game- Central Lake against Atlanta. Go Mike King and the Trojans!

Tags: market

We still have our 1/2 bushel of red haven peaches sale going on for a few more days! Everyone is loving the nectarines. Raspberries are back and easy to pick. Ginger gold apples maybe this week-end. Great time to visit.

Tags: market

PICKLES ARE IN!

Tags: market, pickles, vegetables

This week we are picking Balaton tart cherries. If you want to make cherry bounce this year these are the cherries you want to use. We are picking with the stems on and they should keep for traveling. Cherry bounce is easy to make and fun to drink come the holidays. Also these are the type of tart cherry we will be shipping. Shipping is happening this week and the beginning of next week. 11lbs for 40.00 plus shipping ( they would need to go next day air). Cherry picking is getting over but you can come out and try. The cherries are big and black but take work to find. Raspberries are great! Apricots should be coming full force Thurs 7/15. Everyone is loving the IQF (individually quick frozen) montmorency and balaton cherries for pies and Jam. We will have these available way into the winter. Good week to come out! Betsy

Tags: balaton cherries, market, tart cherries

Hey there! It’s Megan, Betsy and John’s niece. I’m going to be taking over the blog a little, along with Courtney and a few of the other “fruit stand girls”, so stay tuned to know what’s fresh at King Orchards.

Today is our first day for U-Pick raspberries! I’m definitely excited, they’re one of my favorite fruits to eat here. They look beautiful, and taste great. Bring the family and get out here! Our raspberries should last all summer, with short 1-2 week breaks in between “batches”.

If you’re wondering about when we’re getting our own sweet cherries into the market and u-pick, John says they’ll be in full-swing for the weekend. Until then, we have some delicious cherries from Grand Rapids, MI. Be sure to come in and get them while they’re fresh! -Megan K.

Tags: Cherries, market, News, raspberries