(Romain Blanquart/Detroit Free Press/MCT)
There's one way to guarantee you get a slice of this season's juicy apple crop: rent your own apple tree.
Bill Lutz, who owns Lutz Orchard, has rented out apple trees for more than 25 years at the 12-acre orchard his father started in Saline, Mich. He says renters help him out by cleaning up a whole tree instead of picking an apple here and there.
"It was started ... as a way to mostly clean up the trees," Lutz says. On average, Lutz rents about a dozen trees a year. Each tree is marked with the renter's name so others don't pick from it.
Richard Raymond, 58, of Ann Arbor, Mich., started renting two apple trees from Lutz several years ago. Raymond estimates that he and the person he shares with get at least three bushels from each tree.
"We rent one early-bearing tree and one late-bearing tree," says Raymond, a physicist at the University of Michigan. "It's a nice feeling knowing that's my apple tree."
Prices vary by size and run up to $75 per tree.
"The smaller trees cost more because they are easier to pick," says Lutz.
At Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, Mich., 120 trees were rented before July 1, the seasonal cut-off date. Like Lutz, Tree-Mendus also has U-pick trees that are still open to the public.
"The trees are rented without any fruit on them," says owner Herb Teichman, whose 450-acre orchard in Berrien County began renting out trees 35 years ago. "But renters are welcome to come and visit the tree from spring blossom time to harvest."
Rentals range from $30 to $150, depending on tree size and location, with a minimum of $75. Hilltop trees cost more to rent because they produce more fruit.
And what if a tree doesn't bear fruit? Not to worry, Teichman says, there are plenty of apples to share from other trees. But "I don't think we've ever had a complete failure," he added.
Renting trees has become a family tradition for David Rentschler of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
In fact, Teichman says, the Rentschler family was the first to rent at Tree-Mendus.
Rentschler, 76, says the family leases the same trees every year. "It's been an important part of our family tradition," he says. "My dad started it after seeing an ad in the paper."
The Rentschlers usually pick apples around Columbus Day, and relatives from as far away as New York gather to participate.
The family's trip to Tree-Mendus also includes a picnic and maybe a game of touch football.
There's even been a marriage proposal.
"My niece Karen's boyfriend gave her an apple to bite into and there was a ring inside," says Rentschler. "It was a neat moment."
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IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR FOR MICHIGAN APPLES
There's a sweet spot in Michigan's sour economy.
Thanks to the summer's cool, relatively tame weather, the state is expected to see its largest apple crop in a decade, the nonprofit Michigan Apple Committee (www.michiganapples.com) says.
"It couldn't have gone better with apples for the state of Michigan this year," says Denise Donohue, the executive director.
Michigan orchards are expected to yield an estimated 26 million bushels, twice the amount as last year. Apples are one of the state's largest agricultural fruit crops, bringing in some $500 million a year in economic impact for the state.
So what's so special about Michigan's apples? Variety, growers say. Some metro orchards offer more than 23 varieties, including well-known ones such as Red and Golden Delicious, trendy newcomers such as Honeycrisp and antique varieties such as Wolf River.
Popular Michigan varieties include Gala, Fuji and Jonagold. Most Michigan apples are suitable for baking, but some -- such as Northern Spy, Empire and Ida Red -- hold up better in pies and other desserts. Flavor varies, too, with some sweeter or more tart.
Honeycrisp has been the darling for the last several years. Biting into a juicy Honeycrisp, many say, is like drinking apple cider.
Erwin Orchards in South Lyon recently opened Honeycrisp U-pick season.
"Last year we had people in line beginning at 5 a.m. waiting to start picking," says owner Linda Erwin.
Bill Lutz, who owns Lutz Orchard, has rented out apple trees for more than 25 years at the 12-acre orchard his father started in Saline, Mich. He says renters help him out by cleaning up a whole tree instead of picking an apple here and there.
"It was started ... as a way to mostly clean up the trees," Lutz says. On average, Lutz rents about a dozen trees a year. Each tree is marked with the renter's name so others don't pick from it.
Richard Raymond, 58, of Ann Arbor, Mich., started renting two apple trees from Lutz several years ago. Raymond estimates that he and the person he shares with get at least three bushels from each tree.
"We rent one early-bearing tree and one late-bearing tree," says Raymond, a physicist at the University of Michigan. "It's a nice feeling knowing that's my apple tree."
Prices vary by size and run up to $75 per tree.
"The smaller trees cost more because they are easier to pick," says Lutz.
At Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, Mich., 120 trees were rented before July 1, the seasonal cut-off date. Like Lutz, Tree-Mendus also has U-pick trees that are still open to the public.
"The trees are rented without any fruit on them," says owner Herb Teichman, whose 450-acre orchard in Berrien County began renting out trees 35 years ago. "But renters are welcome to come and visit the tree from spring blossom time to harvest."
Rentals range from $30 to $150, depending on tree size and location, with a minimum of $75. Hilltop trees cost more to rent because they produce more fruit.
And what if a tree doesn't bear fruit? Not to worry, Teichman says, there are plenty of apples to share from other trees. But "I don't think we've ever had a complete failure," he added.
Renting trees has become a family tradition for David Rentschler of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.
In fact, Teichman says, the Rentschler family was the first to rent at Tree-Mendus.
Rentschler, 76, says the family leases the same trees every year. "It's been an important part of our family tradition," he says. "My dad started it after seeing an ad in the paper."
The Rentschlers usually pick apples around Columbus Day, and relatives from as far away as New York gather to participate.
The family's trip to Tree-Mendus also includes a picnic and maybe a game of touch football.
There's even been a marriage proposal.
"My niece Karen's boyfriend gave her an apple to bite into and there was a ring inside," says Rentschler. "It was a neat moment."
------
IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR FOR MICHIGAN APPLES
There's a sweet spot in Michigan's sour economy.
Thanks to the summer's cool, relatively tame weather, the state is expected to see its largest apple crop in a decade, the nonprofit Michigan Apple Committee (www.michiganapples.com) says.
"It couldn't have gone better with apples for the state of Michigan this year," says Denise Donohue, the executive director.
Michigan orchards are expected to yield an estimated 26 million bushels, twice the amount as last year. Apples are one of the state's largest agricultural fruit crops, bringing in some $500 million a year in economic impact for the state.
So what's so special about Michigan's apples? Variety, growers say. Some metro orchards offer more than 23 varieties, including well-known ones such as Red and Golden Delicious, trendy newcomers such as Honeycrisp and antique varieties such as Wolf River.
Popular Michigan varieties include Gala, Fuji and Jonagold. Most Michigan apples are suitable for baking, but some -- such as Northern Spy, Empire and Ida Red -- hold up better in pies and other desserts. Flavor varies, too, with some sweeter or more tart.
Honeycrisp has been the darling for the last several years. Biting into a juicy Honeycrisp, many say, is like drinking apple cider.
Erwin Orchards in South Lyon recently opened Honeycrisp U-pick season.
"Last year we had people in line beginning at 5 a.m. waiting to start picking," says owner Linda Erwin.
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