From changing leaves to pumpkin patches, there is so much to love about fall.
Top on many lists is the apple harvest.
Corey Adkins takes us to a place where they’ve been doing it for generations in this week’s Northern Michigan in Focus.
“I grew up in the business. My great-grandfather was in the farming business in the area and my grandma took over from my grandpa when he passed, then my father took over and my brothers and I have ran it ever since,” says Mike Evans.
It’s apple harvest season 2016 and it’s go time at the in Frankfort.
“These are Minneiska apples, and the best ones will be turned into SweetTango, and SweetTangos are in stores around the country. They’re a really wonderful apple. They are half honey crisp and half Zestar,” explains Mike.
Each one of these apples are almost a taste explosion. Each tree needing two pollinators to grow fruit, they use crab apple trees to do that. Picking the fruit is a delicate job.
“These apples are like crisp watermelon and they bruise very easy, honey crisp and SweetTango are the most difficult to grow because of how tender they are and how easily they get goofed up in the whole the growing process. Lots of times we have to hand thin them to get the density and to get sun around each apple, so it gets the beauty and sugars that we want to get,” says Mike.
When their great-great-grandfather started this farm it was only 40 acres. It’s now just under 1,000. I bet he’d be proud.
“I don’t mind working hard, none of us in the farming community do, but we like to feel good about it and be rewarded for our efforts, and most anyone can tell you that it’s really exciting and fun when people are really happy and enjoying the products you grow,” says Mike. “And it’s delicious, and it’s healthy.”
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