News Photo by Darby Hinkley Alpena Farmers Market President JB Cook gives a presentation on Wednesday morning to Michigan farmers as part of the Michigan Agritourism Association bus tour to Northeast Michigan.

ALPENA — A group of Michigan farmers toured the Alpena area on Wednesday, stopping at the Alpena Farmers Market, AJ’s Berry Farm, Burrone Family Vineyard and Winery, and Knaebe’s Apple Farm and Ciderworks.

The Michigan Agritourism Association organized the bus tour, with about 40 participants from around the state.

“This is the first time they’ve come to Northeast Michigan,” said Janice Benson, executive director of the Michigan Agritourism Association. “Each year, we pick a different region of the state to showcase the farmers in that region. I was really excited to come to Northeast Michigan because people don’t always realize what a special gem it is, and how many amazing farms are out here.”

At a presentation on Wednesday morning at the Mich-e-ke-wis warming shelter, Mary Beth Stutzman, president and CEO of the Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, welcomed visitors and gave a short history of some of the farming in Northeast Michigan. Stutzman lives on a Centennial Farm in the area.

After Stutzman spoke, Alpena Farmers Market President JB Cook gave a slideshow presentation about the Alpena Farmers Market.

Founded in 1978, the year-round market operates at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, moving inside the warming shelter for the winter months. Throughout the year, Alpena Farmers Market hosts special events, including the popular Kids Day during the summer, as well as Food Preservation Day, Save-A-Life Saturday, the mum sale in September, the Apple Pie Contest, and more.

“We really appreciate you guys coming all the way up north, here, to see us,” Cook told the group. “We have to do a lot of creative things to get customers to come to our farmers markets. Today, I’m going to talk about some of those things the Alpena Farmers Market does to get people — customers and our vendors — here.”

Special events throughout the year help increase attendance to the market. He said the community is very supportive in sponsoring and helping out at many of those events.

“The Friends of the Farmers Market, they do all the fun stuff,” Cook said. “They do the stuff that brings our customers and our vendors to our market. They are community members, they are business owners, they want to support the farmers market, get more tourism in our area, get our customers down here, and help the farmers market. They are people who are really passionate about having a farmers market in the area.”

Cook has been involved with the Alpena Farmers Market since he was 7 years old, so 45 years.

He added that the market encourages nutritional education and provides incentives to customers to help offset the costs of fresh, local produce at the market.

Cook said the Alpena Farmers Market is a member of the Michigan Agritourism Association.

The Michigan Agritourism Association is a nonprofit association that supports the agritourism industry through promotion, education, advocacy, problem resolution, and networking. The association’s goal is to keep family farms sustainable, support local economic growth, and provide rich and unique experiences for visitors to make lasting memories.

Benson said this is the association’s fourth annual member bus tour.

“We’re really excited,” Benson added. “We got good weather for November.”

She explained the purpose of the tour.

“These are farmers visiting other farmers,” Benson said. “They’re looking to gain new ideas, at a time in November when they’re finished with their fall season. They have an opportunity to go visit other farmers and network together, connect, see what other people are doing, and bring ideas home that they can think about over the winter and maybe add some new ideas to their farm or market next year.”

ABOUT AJ’S BERRY FARM

“AJ and Amy MacArthur are first-generation farmers who have built a thriving family farm in Lachine,” a summary from the Michigan Agritourism Association explains. “The farm has been in operation since 1997 when at 14, AJ discovered a passion for farming. He started out with a quarter acre of strawberries and a lot of faith. Over the years, the farm has blossomed into AJ’s Berry Farm, which today is known for U-pick strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons, a variety of vegetables, pumpkins, and farmstead maple syrup. Amy makes homemade pies, scones, breads, and jams in their commercial kitchen. In the fall, they also host school field trips and fun, family-friendly activities, including a corn maze and hayrides.”

ABOUT BURRONE FAMILY VINEYARD AND WINERY

“Chuck Burrone is a first-generation farmer that has been growing grapes and making wine since 1998,” a summary from the Michigan Agritourism Association notes. “Last year, he finally realized his dream of opening a small tasting room on his vineyard in Lachine. He grows grapes as naturally as possible, using organic methods as much as possible, and he specializes in Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Itasca, Marquette, and Petite Pearl grapes. His daughter is the winemaker, and his son runs the tasting room where they serve wine flights, wine cocktails, charcuterie boards, and paninis.”

ABOUT KNAEBE’S APPLE FARM AND CIDERWORKS

“Scott Kromer grew up down the road from Knaebe’s and he worked there during high school, learning to prune and care for the fruit trees from the original owners,” a summary from the Michigan Agritourism Association states. “Several years later, when the owners were retiring, they reached out to Scott to see if he might be interested in taking over. Excited for the opportunity, he and his wife Allison moved back home from Wisconsin, and they have quickly taken this beloved apple orchard to the next level. The farm is known for its bustling farm market, U-pick apples, and baked goods, and they now have a new tasting room, featuring their own hard cider, microbrews, and handcrafted wood-fired pizzas. Scott continues to plant new fruit trees and is expanding their offerings with a small petting farm, corn maze, and other fun activities for the public to enjoy.”

Darby Hinkley is Lifestyles editor. She can be reached at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@thealpenanews.com.