Everyone has roots. Traditions, communities and families connect us to time, place and one another. They stabilize us and offer comfort. Autumn reminds us of this every year through sweet treats, warm drinks and looking inward toward one another as the world seems to slow down.
Almar Orchards is much the same. From its organic apple orchards and farm store to its longstanding history in the county, Almar reminds everyone who visits of the deep roots that ground us in the community, the land and everything we share with it.
Rooted in Place
Rooted in the Koan family since the mid-1900s, Almar Orchards has served Flushing as much more than a place to grow apples. This fifth-generation farm encompasses 300 acres, half of which are home to organic apple and pear orchards. The property also includes pasture-raised pigs, meadows filled with pollinators, a sugarbush where staff collect maple sap for syrup and sugar, a playground, a tasting room for hard ciders and a farm store where visitors can enjoy the fruits of Almar’s labor.
From its organic apple orchards and farm store to its longstanding history in the county, Almar reminds everyone who visits of the deep roots that ground us in the community, the land and everything we share with it.
The story began in the mid-1800s when George Rancer Coon, the first “Koan,” as his children would later call themselves, moved from Canada to the United States and purchased an orchard. Almar itself would come generations later.
George Coon’s son, Arthur Koan, planted the first apple trees on a parcel of land that would eventually become “Koan’s Orchard,” established by Arthur’s son, Albert Koan Sr.
A generation later, Albert Koan Jr., having learned the farming trade from his father and at area orchards, decided to start his own orchard. In 1944, he moved from Beecher to Duffield Road with his new wife, Mary Vass. They combined the first parts of their names, “Albert” and “Mary,” for their new home, and Almar Orchards was born.
Albert Jr. planted Almar’s first trees the year his son Jim (James) was born, and in time, both grew. The family built a small farm store in 1955 to sell their apples after previously selling them from their garage and at the Flint City Market. From there, they continued to expand, adding apple storage, a cider mill and more orchard acreage. Mary also began making doughnuts in their small kitchen.
Everyone in the family pitched in. That included Jim, even after he left the orchard for a teaching career. He married fellow teacher Karen Duso, and both continued to help pick and sort apples. In 1978, Jim returned to the farm full-time and became a full partner in the business.
Since then, Almar has grown apples organically for 30 years, with 28 of those years as a certified-organic operation. According to Amalie Hess, orchard and store manager, Almar has become “one of the largest certified-organic orchards east of the Rockies.”
Branches of Fun
The Koan family and Almar Orchards have been a core part of the Flushing community for generations. Their dedication to organically grown produce plays no small role in that.
As Amalie explains, “We care deeply about getting great-tasting, nutrient-dense foods onto a family’s table. Our own children play here and eat these apples, just as our customers do, and that passion for providing the best is what gets us out of bed every day, bright and early.”
Almar understands the importance of providing quality food that everyone can enjoy. Children, parents, farm workers and visitors all share in the farm’s bounty.
Almar’s offerings extend well beyond fresh apples and organic produce. Apple cider is a popular autumn staple, while hard ciders are available for purchase and sampling in the tasting room.
Apple cider vinegar is another option, but one of Almar’s more distinctive products is its “Haybaler Switchel.” Made with vinegar, honey and ginger, the organic beverage comes in several flavors, including the original recipe, cayenne, moose berry and cherry.
For apple lovers, Almar also offers its own Honeycrisp apple chips, which are dehydrated and ready to eat. The farm store also carries honey, honey straws, beeswax, maple syrup, maple sugar and farm-raised pork.
The selection extends to other locally made products, including barbecue sauces and rubs, soy candles, herbal teas, Amish-made jams and jellies, salsa, mustards, horseradish, organic applesauce, sauerkraut and kimchi.
And, of course, there are the seasonal favorites. On weekends, special event days during the off-season and daily during the fall, apple cider doughnuts are freshly made on-site. Fall also brings pumpkins and cornstalks to the farm store, ushering in the season in true Michigan fashion.
The farm store is only part of the experience. Children can play on the playground, while adults can explore the tasting room and sample from at least 10 taps. Visitors may also catch a glimpse of pigs roaming their pens.
“We care deeply about getting great-tasting, nutrient-dense foods onto a family’s table.
Our own children play here and eat these apples, just as our customers do, and that passion for providing the best is what gets us out of bed every day, bright and early.”
— Amalie Hess
And what would autumn be without a hayride? Available on weekends this season, weather permitting, hayrides offer visitors a leisurely tour of the orchard grounds behind a tractor.
Almar also hosts seasonal and special events. One of its biggest is the Scrumpy Skedaddle orchard run, held on the last Sunday of September or the first Sunday of October. From the 10-mile race to the 5K, 10K and Kids’ 1K, as many as 900 runners have participated.
While this year’s Scrumpy Skedaddle has come and gone, runners can look forward to next year’s event. Special U-pick weekends, when visitors can pick their own apples, are another popular early-fall activity.
Check Almar’s Facebook page for U-pick dates and other upcoming events. You never know what might be in store.
Growing Together Year-Round
Everyone has roots: traditions, communities and families. Almar Orchards has long been rooted in the Flushing community, sharing that history with everyone who visits.
Everyone is welcome to enjoy the fruits of the people and the land, whether through fresh produce or the memories created together. And those bonds and experiences aren’t limited to one season.
Many of Almar’s special events and seasonal products thrive in autumn, but the farm remains open year-round. The staff take pride in its accessibility and consistency.
“We never charge admission or parking, and we also keep our store open year-round, not just a ‘seasonal orchard,’” Amalie says.
While many orchards open primarily during autumn, Almar remains dedicated to serving the community in every season, rain, shine or snow.
“Growing certified-organic apples in Michigan or anywhere really is not an easy task,” Amalie says, “but we are happy to do it to provide the very best for our local families.”
Community isn’t exclusive to one season, though it may manifest itself more clearly in fall. Almar captures that sentiment perfectly: the comfort, warmth, closeness and care that come with autumn while the rest of the world seems to move a mile a minute.
That feeling remains firmly rooted in the Koan family, the people who work the orchard and everyone who comes to visit.
Stop by Almar Orchards this autumn and see for yourself.
Almar Orchards
1431 Duffield Rd.,
Flushing, MI 48433
810-659-6568
almarorchards@gmail.com
To learn more about
Almar Orchards, including its hours, history, farm store, products and commitment to sustainable agriculture, visit www.almar-orchards.com
or follow Almar Orchards Organic on Facebook for the latest orchard news and events.
