King Orchard logo cherry trees in bloom, 1999
   
elcome! Our fruit stand and orchards are located 3 miles east of US 31 on M 88 near the town of Central Lake, Michigan.

We are a first generation family farm. John and Betsy along with Jim and Rose King and the children make up the family.

We grow 73 acres of tart pie cherries; 10 acres of Balaton cherries (a new tart cherry variety from Hungary), 32 acres of sweet black cherries; 95 acres of apples, including 20 acres of staked high-density plantings; 10 acres of peaches; 3 acres of pears; 2 acres of apricots; 12 acres of sweet corn; and 2 acres of garden vegetables (if we can keep Rose reigned in). We love the farming life and work hard to grow quality fruit.

The orchard is situated on the highest ground in Antrim County. Looking west we can see Torch Lake, about 3 miles away, and Grand Traverse Bay and the Leelanau peninsula beyond that. The rolling hills and ridges here were formed by the glaciers and are called drumlins. They help to allow good cold air drainage, which is important to prevent frost damage. Our proximity to Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay keeps the temperatures moderated in the spring and fall. Many people feel that the best fruit in the world is grown here in northwestern Michigan.

When you are vacationing up north, be sure to stop by the fruitstand and say hi!

 See pictures and descriptions of the apple varieties we grow Jonathon apple
 Cherry pictures and descriptions Tart cherries on the tree, 1998
 Peach pictures and descriptions Redhaven peach
 Apricot, pear and plum descriptions and pictures Apricot
 Pictures showing our high density orchard  closeup of Gala apple tree blooming in high density orchard
 More photos of the orchard and fruit trees  Apple blossom
"Will it not cause Admiration to stand upon a Mount in the midst of a fair large Orchard in the spring time, and to behold round about a multitude of several sorts of fruit-trees, full of beautiful Blossomes, different in their shapes and colours, ravishing the sense with their sweet Odours, and within a while, turned into faire and goodly fruits of divers Colours and Kinds; the Fruit-Trees gorgeously arrayed with green leaves, and various coloured fruits, as with so many precious Jewels and Pearls." -Ralph Austen A Treatise on Fruit-Trees 1653
 farm motto-Quality is rarely an accident, but the result of hard work
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Call toll free- 1-877-YES KING

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Apple Journal
Copyright 1999 - 2004 updated- 3-25-2004