Our network of growers spans more than 11,000 acres of prime apple-growing land. They are passionate people who take pride in producing quality, flavorful fruit. Many of our growers come from multi-generational family farms and were born with “green thumbs”.
Walter E. Swindeman, Sr. was a grocery wholesaler bothered by the poor-quality apples he’d see in his customers’ produce sections. “When I retire, I’m going to raise good apples as a hobby,” Walter told his wife. “Then, I’m going back to call on my old customers and supply them with quality apples.” This one thought sprouted Applewood Orchards, which was founded in 1935. Today, eight decades and 500+ acres later in Southeast MI, along with another 160 acres near Lake Michigan in Oceana County, Walter’s third and fourth generations run the family-owned business. Scott, Steve, and Jim, along with their sons, each play an important role in the operations of this partnership.
Apples:
When Patrick was younger he worked with his father, Bill, on their small family orchard. In 2004, he began renting orchards in the area—subsequently, purchasing additional farms and taking over the family farm from his father. Patrick has steadily planted new trees of popular varieties such as Gala, Honeycrisp, and Fuji. He has also invested in fans for most of his farms to move warmer air from above to prevent frost damage to blossoms in the spring.
Apples:
Steffens Orchards is a family-farm operation currently operating over 300 acres of apples. The Steffens family arrived from Germany in 1846 and settled in Alpine Township in 1852. The parcel where the farm market is, was purchased in 1983—at that time, not even one apple tree existed there. Today, Rob and Christine Steffens, the fourth generation, own, operate, and manage the farms and market.
Apples:
In 2011, Ryan purchased his first 40 acres of open ground where he planted all apples. Then, in 2015, he purchased an additional 80 acres of apples trees, now owning roughly 120 acres. Apart from being a remarkable dad to three beautiful children, Ryan enjoys doing business alongside his father and brother keeping the family traditions alive.
Apples:
Ron Rasch is said to be one of the best apples growers in the Grand Rapids area. With the mix of traditional practices and introduction of improved efficiencies, Ron has focused much of his life to growing delicious apples for people to enjoy. He currently owns 800 acres in Belding, the Ridge, and Fremont areas of Michigan. He began his journey back in 1973 working in the packing shed alongside his grandfather and dad while attending Michigan State University for a degree in Agriculture Business. His son, Matthew has followed in his footsteps by joining the operations of his farms and plans to continue his family’s legacy. Ron’s favorite apple is the SweeTango®, due to its packed-punch of flavor, crunch, and growing process.
Apples:
Randy Kober is a fifth-generation apple grower who bought his first farm in 2009. Since then, he has added 100 acres. Randy enjoys all aspects of farming, from planting the trees and harvesting the apples, to filling his controlled atmosphere storage and trucking the fruit when it is sold. He adores his four children and wife Kaitlyn, as family is one of the most important aspects of his life. Giving children a place to learn, live, and love apples is what he does best, and hopes to carry that onto future generations.
Apples:
Rodney is a fourth-generation farmer with 300 acres. In 2018, their farm became a Centennial farm, meaning his farm has been continuously owned by the family for at least 100 years. Rodney, accompanied by his wife Denise, is blessed to farm with his two sons, Ryan and Randy (fifth-generation growers), and continues to evolve with them in the apple industry. In 2020, they added a new controlled atmosphere storage to the farm and continue to expand with new technological efficiencies.
Apples:
Caleb and Sarah Coulter, the owners of American Apple, named the company to be inclusive of their operation along with neighboring partners’ contributions. Not to lose sight of what they are nor where they came from – the American family farm. The production is maintained with the highest quality. Continuous improvement of the complex process of growing apples is systematically achieved by vertically integrating many investments. High-density plantings at the root, growing, harvesting, storing, and packing. American Apple takes a systematic approach with a high level of care from a skillful staff to ensure freshness and quality are at its forefront.
Caleb bought his first 100 acres in 1996 at just 18 years old and has continued growing the business to include many additional facets from ag chemical sales, an excavating company, and a cider company along with two packing companies and possibly a few others by now. His most prized growth has been the addition of family returning to the farm or overall operation. Caleb and Sarah’s efforts are blessed greatly every day with the help of his sister Rachel and her three sons, joined by their oldest daughter with the potential of one more daughter joining in the near future. “The roles of our many employees and their efforts are too expansive to give a title to,” states Caleb, “with our first employee joining in 1998 now still with us along with many lifelong friends and neighbors we remain an extended family farm because together we produce.”
The current facility was built in 2012 with additions in 2016 and again in 2022 to include a total of eight CA rooms, two finish pack rooms, three expansive cold storage rooms, indoor truck unloading bays, and two packing rooms, along with an indoor hydro cooler. The facility is designed to be extremely efficient in both energy use and product flow.
American Apple has a large focus on traceability with the help of the QR code time-stamped down to the carton product was packed in, wrist scanners, and hand scanners utilized by employees harvesting the data daily to make timely decisions as the product comes off the packing lines. With a quick look around, any person will notice the magnitude of investments in efficiencies for quality control that are too numerous to mention. American Apple continues to implement these practices with the one thing most intended, quality.
Apples:
(Sister company of American Apple)
With Michigan’s Asparagus season being a short 6-week crop averaging about 45 days annually from the first part of May until the end of June, Caleb and his wife Sarah along with their well-seasoned team take pride in the labor-intensive process that comes along with growing Asparagus. Sarah states, “We are blessed with year-round skilled staff to produce a reliable crop”.
Caleb planted his own first asparagus in 1998 after growing up around it with the inspiration of his grandfather planting his first back in 1957. The Coulters transitioned to fresh market receiving for others in 2012 with the construction of their first facility and later started to pack their own directly in 2016. Since then, multiple plantings have developed as the operation has grown to be not only one of the largest in the state but also in the nation. Today the ever-increasing production has grown to include partnering growers in over 7 counties with a producing regional distance of over 150 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Sarah states, “We take pride in contributing to the nations producing leader of Asparagus right here in Michigan, Home of the National asparagus festival!”
Asparagus
We represent an amazing group of growers that inspire our mission: to bring quality apples and amazing flavor to market. At Applewood Fresh, we consider ourselves more than just customer service (but we excel at that too). We are in the business of cultivating relationships. That means our strategy to representation is not a one-size-fits-all. We approach each one of our growers uniquely. We start with listening, learning, and understanding. Then we take it from there.
