Meet the The Roossinck Family

Meet the Roossinck Family and learn about their generations of apple growing in Michigan!

The Schwallier Family
Learn about the tradition and pride of apple growing from the Schwallier family in Sparta, Michigan.

The Youngquist Family
Growing high quality Michigan Apples is a long-standing tradition for the Youngquist Family! Find out what it’s like to be a Michigan Apple Grower!

The Wittenbach Family
Learn about the Wittenbach Family’s long tradition of growing Michigan Apples.

The Alpers Family
Learn about the Alpers Family’s long tradition of growing Michigan Apples.

Kugel Farms photo

Kugel Farms

Established in 1930, Kugel Farms is a place where family and farming come together. Nestled in the heart of Southwest Michigan, its idyllic location lends itself to ideal growing conditions with rolling hills, fertile soil, and a temperate climate thanks to the Lake Michigan coast 15 miles away.
J Engelsma Orchard

J Engelsma Orchards, Inc.

Jim Engelsma’s grandfather George bought an 80 acre farm in 1920 and began farming 18 dairy cows and 35 acres of raspberries and other vegetables on the land that is now called J Engelsma Orchards, Inc. Jim’s father was the first person to plant apple trees on their land. Currently, Jim farms 145 acres of apples and peaches and his fresh apple cider has won many awards over the years.
Travis Bratschi Family

Travis Bratschi and Family

Travis Bratschi started working on his grandpa’s cherry and apple farm every summer beginning at age seven. Farming all the way through high school, Travis learned the key components to good farming practices and found himself back on the farm after graduating college and working at a pest control company for two years. He says he has a passion for working in the fruit industry and hopes to keep expanding his farm in the future.
Joe Rasch Orchard

Joe Rasch Orchards, Inc.

Growing up on an apple farm, working in the apple industry seemed like second nature to Joe Rasch. Joe Rasch Orchards, Inc. now has two locations in Conklin and Sparta, where he harvests apples and cherries every season. His five children, Jessica, Rob, Katie, Emily and Liz, get to experience the same everyday lifestyle that their dad had growing up on an apple farm.
The Kropf Family

The Kropf Family

Chris and his wife, Kim, purchased the 135 -acre family farm, all in apples, about five years ago. A fourth-generation apple grower, Chris has a long history with the land which is ideally situated for apple production with nearby lakes.
Dietrich Orchard

Dietrich Orchards

Dietrich Orchards was started by Al Dietrich's great-great grandfather Joseph Dietrich five generations ago and the family business has remained intact ever since. However, Al, his brother Joe and his cousins Mike and Jim, have split the business into two operations. Al and his brother run Ridgeview Orchards and his cousins run Leo Dietrich and Sons. The two operations still operate through Dietrich Orchards, the packing, storing and shipping portion of the business.
Umlor Family

The Umlor Family

Roger's grandfather, Walter Umlor, bought the land in 1930 and started the farm with 80 acres, which has always been heavy in fruit production. Today, there is one main farm in Conklin, as well as two satellite farms in the Hart and Shelby area, consisting of about 600 total acres and over 340 acres of apples. Roger, along with his father Bob, uncle Ray, brother Mark and cousin Steve run the farm together.
Klein Family

Joe Klein and Joe Klein Jr.

Joe Klein and Joe Jr. are a father-son team who own and operate two farms in Sparta, along with a satellite farm in Hoover. Joe is the second generation to own Royal J Klein Farms, which was founded in 1940 by Joe's father and uncle.
The Wittenbach Family

The Wittenbach Family

The family farm was started in 1900 by Ed's grandfather, Fredrick Wittenbach. It began as a dairy farm, with a small apple orchard. After receiving his horticulture degree from Michigan State University, Ed returned to the farm and took over the family business. He decided to get out of cattle and focus on apples. Ed's vision paid off. His orchard has blossomed to 225 acres and continues to be a profitable family-run business.