Michigan Apple Committee Official Blog

Marissa Tidey, 2012 Michigan Apple Queen

Hello, my name is Marissa Tidey and I am honored to be representing the industry as the 2012 Michigan Apple Queen.  I am from Dowagiac Michigan and I am a sophomore at Grand Valley State University.  My grandfather, James Scherer, the owner and operator of James Scherer Fruit Farms has been a part of the industry for 32 years as a grower, packer, and shipper.  Ever since I was little apples have been a part of my life and continue to be.

As a little girl I loved to dress up and go to queen contests, but had never experienced the apple queen contest.  One day my mom mentioned it and I figured I’d give it a shot, never thinking I’d end up being crowned.  We spent all day working on our introductions, slow walks, and “queen feet” at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel on December 6.  I didn’t know anyone at first, but decided to take it as a learning experience and have fun.  All of the other contestants were around the same age, so it was very easy to talk and get to know one another.  The next thing we knew it was time for interviews with the judges and I knew this was really it; it was time, and my nerves had kicked in.  To my surprise, the judges were not as intimidating as I thought; they’re normal people who are just trying to get to know you and your personality.  The contest was the best part of the whole day yet seemed like it only lasted five minutes.  It was such a whirlwind, and the next thing I knew I was being crowned the new Apple Queen.  I soon realized what my year was going to be like as my duties started the very next morning, with meets and greets on the expo floor.

Going to the expo with my first runner up, Emily Heeren was a great way to kick off the year.  It was an incredible way to meet local farmers and visit with those I already knew.  My favorite part of the day was tasting all of the fantastic things Michigan has to offer.  We also attended a luncheon and formal dinner where we got to listen to dynamic presentations about the economy of our state.  I would like to thank the Michigan Apple Committee and their sponsors for providing this opportunity to the young women of our industry.  This is a great chance for us to learn even more about our state while educating others as well.  I’m excited and look forward to what the new year brings!

Emily Heeren, 2012 First Runner-up

Hello, my name is Emily Heeren and I am honored to have been crowned the Michigan Apple Court for 2012.

I was blessed in my younger years to have grown up on “The Ridge” in a house surrounded by apple orchards. I have a strong family tradition with apples on both sides of my family. My great-grandfather along with his brother, on my father’s side of the family started Heeren Brother’s Produce in 1933, and the business is now run by my father, and other relatives. The business deals with the packing and shipping of Michigan Apples. My mother’s side of the family has a deep tradition of growing Michigan Apples that runs back as far as anyone now alive can remember. I am proud to have my own contribution to add to this strong heritage by acting as the 2012 Michigan Apple Court.

Taking part in the Michigan Apple Queen pageant is something that all of my older cousins on my father’s side, as well as my sister have participated in. I remember watching some of my older cousins run and I was proud when one of my cousins was crowned. It was exciting to be able to share a dance on top of the whitecaps dugout one day that summer. This past year my sister served as the Michigan Apple Court and I was able to share many experiences with her, as a self deemed “Michigan Apple Court paparazzi” taking pictures all year long. I look forward to this coming year creating my own experiences as the Michigan Apple Court.

I already carry with me the experiences of the pageant and the pizza party with the other contestants. Emily, Jennifer, Marissa, and Elizabeth are all very nice and I am glad I had the opportunity to meet them all. Marissa will be a great queen; I can tell by all of the fun we had together at the Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo.

I cannot wait to get out on the parade routes, reading to schools, visiting farmers markets, and visiting all the other venues to promote Michigan Apples!  I look forward to all the events Marissa and I will be a part of. Thank you to all the growers, packers and shippers, sponsors and the Michigan Apple Committee for this great opportunity.

On Saturday November nineteenth I was invited to be a part of the Grand Rapids Santa Claus Parade. For a mid-November day I was surprised to have very pleasant weather. While walking around before the parade I met many Michigan Apple Fans including Grand Rapids Mayor Heartwell.  I had the honor of presenting Mayor Heartwell with a Michigan Apple pin. I appreciated the effort Mayor Heartwell placed into wearing the Michigan Apple pin.

The Grand Rapids parade had several balloons and many different and interesting floats. There were three balloons: a magic dragon, an elephant, and the rainbow fish. One of the floats promoted “It’s a Michigan Thing” which showcased many different things from Michigan. There was also a McDonald’s Ford Mustang which had their fruit and maple oatmeal with a picture of Michigan Apples because McDonald’s uses Michigan Apples in their oatmeal.

I was amazed by how many people came out to view the parade but it was not surprising since it was so warm for a November day! As always there were many Michigan Apple fans within the crowd as evidenced by the many “yay Michigan apples!” and “I love Michigan apples!”  I heard. I am very thankful to have been a part of this wonderful parade, to have met Santa Claus, and to have talked with many Michigan Apple fans!

I have had an amazing year attending and visiting different events and places all over the state. I loved the opportunity of meeting many Michigan Apple fans from Michigan, other United States, as well as from other countries! I would like to thank all the Michigan Apple growers, packers, shippers, farmer’s markets, and cider mills who supported my journey this year. I would also like to thank the Michigan Apple Committee for all their help in setting up visits and for posting my blogs. This year was a terrific opportunity and I enjoyed every minute of it. I know the lovely ladies who are soon to be crowned at the Michigan Apple Queen pageant in a couple weeks will have as much fun as I did. Thank you all, God bless, and keep growing strong Michigan Apples!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! My weekend was very enjoyable considering I was able to go to Troy, Michigan and work with Chef Paul at a Michigan apple chef demo. The rainy weather brought in a great crowd to both Nino Salvaggio grocery stores, and Chef Paul and I were steadily busy all day. While handing out delicious samples Michigan apple and cheese quesadillas to the hungry customers, we got a lot of strange looks. But once people tried them they were in love! It was obvious that nobody could resist a Michigan apple. It was great to answer the questions about Michigan apples and hear that they always try to buy locally because they prefer the taste over others. It was also a pleasure to work with Chef Paul; he was such a fun and talented guy and it was great to get to spend the day with him!

On Friday October twenty-first I was invited to read to Mrs. Youngquist’s morning and afternoon preschool classes in the Rockford School District. I read Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss. During this story the children all pretended to balance apples on their heads just like the characters in the book. I also read the story of Johnny Appleseed by Jodie Shepherd. The children thought it was very funny that a boy would wear a pan on his head. The afternoon class listened to Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish. The children talked to me about what Michigan Apples they thought are best for apple pie.

The children asked me questions about what it’s like to be a princess as well as what my royal responsibilities are. I told them about being in parades, going to grocery stores, as well as farm markets, but most importantly sharing my passion of Michigan Apples! They were very interested in hearing about the different varieties of Michigan Apples. We discussed colors as well as patterns seen on apples.

My time with my new friends was much too short however I am sure they will be great ambassadors for the Michigan Apple industry with all their new knowledge.

The next day, I participated in chef demonstrations at two Meijer locations. The first demonstration was held at the Westland store. The second demonstration was held at the Allen Park store. The chef prepared Michigan Honeycrisp apple cheese quesadillas. The shoppers loved how healthy and quick the snack was. There were also Michigan Honeycrisp apple slices for those who love the simple taste of Michigan Apples.

Many customers were very excited to have the chance to pick up recipes which feature Michigan Apples. Such recipes to be picked up were Michigan Apple Pie, Turkey Apple Panini, as well as Michigan Apple Salsa among others. There were even recipes for the Michigan Apple quesadillas however they were soon gone because the shoppers could not get enough of the wholesome goodness!

Having the opportunity to visit two different stores afforded me the chance to visit with people of many cultures from around the state. Many of the people I spoke with about Michigan Apples were very impressed with how sweet the Honeycrisp were this year. Others enjoyed sharing with me their favorite Michigan Apple variety and how they prefer to prepare their Michigan Apples! It is always a pleasure to be able to answer the questions people have about Michigan Apples.

Many children were very excited to see the “Apple Princess” and to have their picture taken with me. Thank goodness many parents came prepared with cell phones with cameras! I was very happy to oblige and to pass out Michigan Apple pencils which are always a great hit with parents and children alike. It is always a delight to visit local food centers especially when they are promoting a great locally grown product like Michigan Apples!

On Saturday October fifteenth I traveled to New Era and visited the Lewis Farm Market and Petting Zoo. Upon arriving I saw many people about the property. I first went inside the retail market where the smell of fresh Michigan Apple cider and warm homemade doughnuts was in the air. I was able to sample some of the Michigan Apple baked goods which were all scrumptious! I met many people who were very interested in Michigan Apples and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my Michigan Apple knowledge with them.

My next stop was out to the petting zoo where many people were very excited to see animals such as a camel, alpaca, a zebra, and the Lewis farm market’s mascot, a donkey. I had many children ask if I was a real princess. I told them “Yes! I rule over all the Michigan Apples!”

Many children were delighted to get caramel apple suckers as well as some pretty cool Michigan Apple tattoos! The parents enjoyed the activity books which were filled with fun things from coloring pages, history, word searches, and math problems all featuring Michigan Apples! For the older children I handed out Michigan Apple pencils to the pleasure of parents. One father exclaimed to his son, “Now you have no reason not to get your homework done”. I added, “And it is a great reminder to eat Michigan Apples”!

I also had the exciting experience of riding on the “Apple Express”. The express tours the Lewis farm through “haunted” woods, shows off a pumpkin cannon, and makes a stop in the orchard so visitors can pick their own fresh Michigan Apples.

The Lewis farm market staff made the day very pleasant and fun-filled. Even though the day was quite chilly with a strong wind, the weather did not deter many Michigan Apple fans from making the trip to the Lewis Farm Market to experience great Michigan Apples as cider, desserts, and straight from the tree. Once again, it was an amazing opportunity to experience one of Michigan’s great farm markets.

On October 8th I had the chance to go to Detroit and visit the Eastern Farm Market. Lucky enough for me and all of the visitors, it was a beautiful, sunny day; perfect weather for an occasion such as this.

When we arrived, I was expecting a normal size farm market with the usual food and flower vendors. I was in for a surprise when I realized Eastern Market was much more than that! People were selling everything from fruit, vegetables, plants, jewelry, and even dog treats! And of course the Michigan Apple booth was there too. One of my personal favorites was the people selling all different kinds of pies. He told me that apple pie was almost always his biggest seller and also gave me a few of his secrets that I will definitely put to good use.

It was really great to be able to answer all the questions people had about Michigan apples and even better to hear that everybody preferred Michigan apples to other apples. I loved seeing how enthusiastic kids were about apples too! They were so excited to receive Michigan apple stickers and bookmarks and to tell me how much they loved apples. They have great taste. Although I enjoyed every part of Eastern Market, I’d have to say my favorite part of the day was the hula hoop contest! I have a hidden talent that I never knew I had! I was able to hula for a good minute! It was great to spend my day and share my love of Michigan apples with everybody.

On Thursday, September 29th, I finally got a break in my very busy schedule and was able to read to a kindergarten class in my hometown! When I arrived, the students could barley hold still from excitement! When they finally did, they sat down and told me how they were learning all about where apples come from, when they are ready to be picked, and what color apples there are. I was happy to hear that they knew Michigan apples would help them to grow big and strong and that when I offered a Red Delicious, not one of them refrained from accepting one and taking a giant bite. They even asked for seconds!

When I took a class vote on favorite apple color, I was surprised to see green in first, and red in second, but even more surprised when a kindergartener raised  her hand and informed me that her favorite apple color was “the striped ones”. I was very impressed. After reading the book “Up, Up, Up, it’s Apple Picking Time”, I answered questions I get often such as what my favorite apple is, where I lived, and where I got all of my banner pins from. I was also asked some pretty unusual ones like if I knew any of the Disney princesses personally, and where my castle was. I really got a kick out of my new friends.

It was great getting to revisit my old classroom and kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Griffith and meet all of her students, and am thankful that they let me share their time and teach them a little bit more about our wonderful Michigan Apples!

On Saturday October eighth I visited Plumb’s grocery store in Alpine Township. Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few customers eager to try the samples of Michigan Apples available. While handing out samples I was able to hand out many recipes featuring Michigan Apples! I enjoyed talking with customers about the many varieties and helping them to discover a Michigan Apple suited to their specific taste. I had several customers mention they were related to the Michigan Apple industry. It was interesting to hear their stories about their family farms, past Michigan Apple Queens, as well as how they feel about this year’s growing season. By the end of my time at the store I believe many customers left with delicious Michigan Apples to either bake a Michigan Apple pie, try one of the recipes they picked up, or simply to enjoy fresh.

What an exciting Fall this is becoming!  On September 27^th I had the opportunity to visit Legoland in Schaumburg, IL to promote Michigan apples to the young visitors and their parents.  Legoland is certainly a “made for kid’s” paradise and I can’t think of a better place to add the perfect finish to a day of fun  with a wholesome, healthy Michigan Apple!!  The kids and parents alike loved the Gala apples that were generously provided to hand out.   The parents were also interested in the recipes and information we had for them while their children loved getting their pictures that Denise was taking with her “magic” Polaroid camera for an instant souvenir.  I was enchanted with little children coming back to see me after they had made apples and hearts out of the crafts we gave them and offering them to me as “presents”. They are precious.

Talking to young children about Michigan Apples and letting them know what a healthy snack they are is always wonderful but it was even more enjoyable in an atmosphere that is all about and for kids.  The staff at Legoland were fun to work with it was the first time that I had the chance to really meet and talk with Denise Donohue, our Michigan Apple Committee Executive Director.  It was really nice having someone so informed about all aspects of the apple industry right there to lean on!

Many people at Legoland mentioned that they vacation in Michigan and always comment on how beautiful they find it.  They really do enjoy Michigan Apples and the chance to support an industry that they observe and consider part of the beauty of rural Michigan.  We’ll keep on pushing and promoting!

Sparta’s Harvest on the Ridge Apple Festival

On September seventeenth, I attended Sparta’s Harvest on the Ridge Apple Festival. While there I was asked to hand out Michigan apples including some Honeycrisp, Cortland, McIntosh, and Gala to the delight of the festival’s participants. One of the highlights of the festival was watching many of the children bob for Michigan apples and once success was achieved to see the triumph on their little faces!

There were many tables set up for visitors to peruse. The crowd was able to check out local merchant’s wares including jewelry, wood carvings, toys, as well as one of the local mill’s award winning Michigan Apple Cider.

There were several contests held during the festival. The obvious favorite by the crowd was the Michigan Apple Dessert contest and even though they were not the judges everyone was able to taste each one. Since they were made from Michigan apples I think we can presume they were all delicious! I was given the honor of announcing and handing out awards for the most popular antique tractors.

Yet again it was another beautiful day in Michigan and this event was the perfect way to celebrate the harvest season!

Charlotte’s Country Mill

On Saturday September twenty-fourth I visited Charlotte’s Country Mill.  There were many activities for families to partake in such as a hayride through the orchard, pony rides, an apple art contest, a corn maze, as well as going out to the orchard and picking your own Michigan apples. In one of several barns on the property visitors could get a bite to eat and a band was playing lively music for all to enjoy. There was also a gift shop with many different apple themed items. I was even able to try some of the Michigan Apple wine they had available!

One of the highlights was helping two brothers who were from out of state to surprise their brother who is a Michigan resident on his birthday. While waiting for his arrival I was able to discuss different varieties of Michigan apples with the brothers.

Before the end of the day I was asked to hand out awards to the children who won the apple art contest. This event, as all the others before have reminded me of what a special honor it is to be Michigan Apple Royalty while providing me with a perfect platform to spread the joy of Michigan Apples.

Canton’s Holiday Market

On Saturday October first, I traveled to Canton’s Holiday Market. When I arrived I met with Chef Paul, who was friendly and has an obvious love of Michigan Apples! We were placed in the produce department by a lovely display of Michigan varieties including: Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, McIntoshs and Golden Delicious. We were handing out Michigan Apple cider samples to customers. I think many customers were surprised to learn the cider was made from many varieties grown here in Michigan.

We had many people ask about Michigan Honeycrisp apples which allowed us the opportunity to explain about the different harvest periods for many Michigan apple varieties. Chef Paul brought a couple recipes including one for Michigan Apple salsa and Michigan Apple harvest salad. There was also a handy reference sheet about Michigan Apples. Customers could take the sheet to learn more about which Michigan Apple variety is best on salads, to eat fresh, to bake, to make sauce with, among other things.

By the end of the day the cooler of Michigan apple cider was very near to being sold out. I was not surprised to see how many gallons of cider as well as how many fresh Michigan Apples had sold, because when you have a great product like Michigan Apples to work with they sell themselves!