Thanks for joining us while we share what's happening on the farm this week. If you would like more information about our family farm, please visit KingOrchards.com. You can also shop for our Montmorency Tart Cherry Products online at Mi-Cherries.com.
We invite your comments, questions and suggestions.
The King Family
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Bring the whole family to the orchard for a fun, affordable day trip they won’t soon forget! Our trees are all specially trimmed so the cherries are accessible, even for small children.
Pick your own tart cherries: You can pick your own tart cherries in season right from the tree and we will wash them and pit them for you. This year they are $1.00 a pound, and there is a flat $6 fee for washing and pitting (any amount) while you wait.
Still Picking Sweets: The sweet cherry picking is really great right now. You can pick dark sweet (Bing) cherries for $1.75 per pound, and light sweets (Rainier or Queen Anne) for $1.25 a pound.
Picking Raspberries: We also have raspberries ripening and turning deep red in the warm, summer sun. You can go out to the patch and pick your own for $4 a pint.
Need Directions? Visit our map page or get Google Map Directions from your location. Call us toll-free at 877-937-5464 if you have questions.
0 comments Patty | Cherry News, King Orchards Cherry Products, Orchard Talk
The black sweet cherries have been slow to ripen but we are finally there! Sweet cherries are in the markets by the quart. U-pick will open on Wed 7/9 at the m-88 farm. The picking will be much easier towards the week-end. Price for u-pick is 2.00/lb up to 25 lbs and 1.75 over. Raspberries are ripe for u-pick. Come out and enjoy the farm. Cherries will be in for about 2 weeks. Tart cherries ripe about 7/16. Happy harvesting!
We are loading up the tables for the cherry festival right now. We will be at the open space in Traverse City Fri noon until 10 pm. The hours July 5- July 12 are 10 to 10. Our markets are op[en all holiday week-end with strawberries and pies. The sweet cherries are not cooperating and look as though they will not be ripe until July 6 or 7 and u-pick to start around July 8 to 10. We do have sweet cherries on the trees and the season will last about 3 weeks if it stays dry. The rain splits the cherries and shortens the crop. Tart cherries or sour pie cherries are very short and will be hard to schedule u-pick. I’m not saying we wont have it but I haven’t seen the light on how to manage the u-pick. I do plan to pit fresh tart cherries and put them into my tubs and 10 lb bags. Just keep an eye out and we will see how it goes. Apricots and peaches look great. Happy 4th!!!!!
We’ve been getting lots of calls this week about u-picking. For general estimates, our Harvest Calendar offers a month by month guide to what’s in season, from May blossoms through October pumpkins.
We’re still thinking sweet cherries will be ready around the 8th or 10th of July, but you might be able to pick raspberries by the 4th. We’ll keep you posted!
In the meantime, enjoy this travel video Brian Kaufman from the Detroit Free Press shot last summer, which features an interview with John King and cherry lovers & pie makers from Chicago.
Strawberries are finally here! The strawberries look absolutely wonderful and delicious. They taste just as great as they look. The prices of the strawberries are set at $4 a quart and $30 a flat (8 quarts). The season should last through July 7th or so.
It’s been raining so much lately! In the past 40 days, we’ve had rain on 24 of them. Hopefully it dries up soon, because the rain can cause the cherries to split. All of our gardens are staked out and planted, so the rain will be good for just a few more days. Guess what happens tomorrow? Strawberries are finally in the market! They were even later than we thought, but now they’re coming for sure. And next week, the Cherry Festival starts in Traverse City on the 4th of July! We have a little more work to do before we’re ready, but things are coming together. That’s about all that’s happening this week…bye for now!
Hey everyone! Megan here, writing for Betsy while she’s at church. (For those of you that don’t know me, I’m John and Betsy’s niece that lives here on the farm with them.) The season really feels like it’s starting now, because of the strawberries coming in this upcoming weekend. But what I’m looking forward to is the raspberries. Uncle John says that they’re looking good and will be in in about 10 days. These ones won’t be here in 10 days, but in a couple years we will have a half-acre full of raspberries at the US-31 market! In other news, King Orchards will be going to the Traverse City Cherry Festival, July 4th-12th. See you there! 
Things are finally warming up here! We’ve had rain the past few days, and the sweet corn is beginning to sprout. We have asparagus in the market for one more week, and strawberries are estimated to be in a bit late, because of the previously cool weather. We should have them in the market by June 21st, which is good to hear. Sweet cherries are looking good and should be ripe around the 8th of July.
A new face lift for the kitchen down at the 31 market is happening right now. This past week-end people were looking for pies. Because we are in construction the bakery will not be going until mid June. Rose is very excited about the changes and is walking around with a big smile on her face. It was cold last night and John ran the wind machines to try to prevent any frost from forming. Let’s hope his efforts pay off. Things look good but if you had to ask me right now I would say cherry season is going to be late. I don’t see cherries for the 4th—however I’m hoping a major warm up proves me wrong. We still have asparagus in the market and it is wonderful. Betsy
I know that it is really spring because the asparagus is in. Beautiful and tender. We had it grilled, steamed, and sauteed with soy sauce. The big change everyone will notice this spring are the Poplar trees that ran along M-88. Most were very dead and we were hoping the state would take them down. After waiting a year longer than we should have, we have contracted to have a company come in and take them down. Yesterday with a big machine in tow, they would grab the trees and cut it off at the base. Then, they chipped the wood and blew them into a semi truck. The whole job was done in a day. We do have plenty of cleaning up of small branches yet to do. I am lucky to say I have a big pile of chips with my name on it just outside my door. My son Micheal said he felt naked because the trees had hid us from the road and now “hello”. Others said they like the change because the orchard is easier to see. Well, whether we like it or not the trees were dead and needed to come out. The blossoms are just about over in the cherries, and apples are just about to blossom. It wont be long before I will have cherries to sell.