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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 53 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.root.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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} </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print Card</a></div> </div> </div> <style> .membership-tout {padding:16px 20px;} .membership-tout .list li { margin: 0; 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}); </script> </div> </div> ' $scripts_for_layout = '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ' $title_for_layout = 'Place Detail - AARP' $asset_version = '230831' $min = true $nowrapper = false $css = ''include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 include - APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 54 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::renderLayout() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 546 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 481 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 963 AppController::renderPage() - APP/Controller/AppController.php, line 136 PlacesController::display() - APP/Controller/PlacesController.php, line 501 ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs() - [internal], line ?? 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About Us:
Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.
The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.
The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.
During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.
Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.
Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.
To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.
Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.
Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.
Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.
Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET
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Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET
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Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 242]Code Context<?php // if (!$nowrapper) (Globals::$language == 'es') ? include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer_es.html") : include(APP . "/Resource/aarpe_footer.html"); ?>
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include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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</a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p 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Warning (2): include(/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html) [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 243]Code Context<?php if (!$nowrapper): // MLW - Spanish wrappers TBD
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
include (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.bodyTargeting.html");
$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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</a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p 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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. 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Warning (2): include() [<a href='http://php.net/function.include'>function.include</a>]: Failed opening '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/Resource/aarp2_master.resource.footer.root.html' for inclusion (include_path='/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/lib:.:/usr/share/pear:/usr/share/php') [APP/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp, line 244]Code Contextinclude (APP . "Resource/aarp2_master.footer.html");
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$viewFile = '/var/www/vhosts/vcc_staging/app/View/Layouts/aarp_2023.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'content_for_layout' => '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); 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}); </script> </div> </div> ', 'scripts_for_layout' => '<title>Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI</title> <meta name="page_title" content="Montrose Orchards - Montrose, MI"/> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/> <meta content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose" name="description"/> <meta content="Montrose, Orchards, MI" name="keywords"/> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.americantowns.com/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://vccstaging.local.aarp.org/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"/> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta name="twitter:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="og:type" content="place"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Montrose Orchards"/> <meta property="og:description" content="About Us: Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose"/> <meta property="og:image" content="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/thumbs/generic-icon.jpg"/> <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="43.189407"/> <meta property="place:location:longitude" content="-83.88059"/> ', 'title_for_layout' => 'Place Detail - AARP' ) $content_for_layout = '<div class="row twoColumnLayout"> <div class="col-md-8 left-rail"><div class="module clearfix"><div class="ar-basic-box"> <div class="module-spacer"> <header><h1 class="article-headline">Montrose Orchards</h1></header> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6 left module-spacer"> <p> <div> <div>12473 Seymour Road</div> <div> <span>Montrose</span>, <span>MI</span> <span>48457</span> </div> </div> </p> <div> <i class="fa fa-external-link-square"></i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/montroseorchards/" target="_blank">Montrose Orchards</a> </div> <div><i class="fa fa-phone-square"></i> 810-639-6971</div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6 module-spacer"> <iframe width="100%" height="220" frameborder="0" style="border:0" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyCU5aZylcrTOLke9e3U0F2mXovlZ4bL8yk&q=Montrose+Orchards%2C+12473+Seymour+Road%2C+Montrose%2C+MI+48457" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </div> </div> <div class="module-spacer clearfix"> <p>About Us:</p> <p>Montrose Orchards was started in 1913 by Ira Sawyer, a Flushing attorney, John Kerr, a local farmer and a Mr. Stephens, a bank cashier at Montrose Bank. Kerr failed to weather the expense and time waiting for the trees to grow and dropped out of the partnership for a more profitable occupation. Stephens disappeared after taking $40,000 from the bank. In the fall of 1925, Sayer sold the farm to James J. Hill who had taken 8 months of courses in Horticulture and General Agriculture.</p> <p>The premises consisted of about 70 acres of planted and abandoned trees, a so-called barn set up on a foundation of 8 rocks (no walls), an old house with no windows and barely any plaster, and a sagging porch on 3 sides of the front section which was 18’x30′. There were also two wells with broken pump rods.</p> <p>The orchard had suffered from neglect. Trees had not been pruned for several years and had sprouts coming from the base and growing up through the tops of the trees. There were 3 spots in the orchard where the sand had blown out to the point that it had to be graded back in so that the rows could be traveled with orchard equipment.</p> <p>During the next 10 years the Hill family developed a very comfortable 8-room house until April 12, 1937 when it caught fire from sparks on a wood shingle roof and burned to the ground. The Hill’s stayed in the storage building while the home was rebuilt.</p> <p>Due to ailing health, Mr. J.J. Hill sold the orchard to his son and daughter-in-law, Donald M. & Sandra J. Hill in 1960. Don received his degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University in 1953, and following two years with the Army Signal Corps worked five years on the orchard before buying it. Donald and Sandra have three children, Dan, Debra, and Sharon, ages 9,8 and 7 respectively.</p> <p>Since 1960, Don and Sandra have continued on with a program of orchard renewal by removing old trees and replanting with young and more popular varieties. Currently there are over 30 varieties of apples, raised on 100 acres, along with pears, plums, cherries and blueberries. Another 50 acres of mature apple trees are being rented (20 in Flushing, 30 in Otisville) to maintain an ample supply of apples for fresh sale during the years it takes to grow young apple trees into production.</p> <p>To facilitate the handling of so many apples, with a minimum of labor, there was a conversion from crates to bulk boxes, which hold 20 bushels each. This required the use of tractor fork lifts in the orchard and a fork lift truck in the storage area, which is refrigerated and holds over 25,000 bushels.</p> <p>Before the apples are sold, they are run through a power washer and then graded for quality and size. Sound apples which do not qualify for top grades are used in making fresh apple cider. The cider is filtered through a white paper to make a clear drink and requires refrigeration to keep it fresh and sweet, as it is not pasteurized. This necessitates the making of fresh cider each week.</p> <p>Fruit and cider is basically sold to consumers that come directly to the orchard for fresh quality produce throughout the year. The normal sales season is from late July until the following May. Many customers have returned for years, and it’s not uncommon to hear “I used to come here with my folks and now it’s a habit”.</p> <p>Over the last few years there has been a growing interest in pick-your-own produce. Only cherries and blueberries are presently harvested in this manner, but others may be added in the future. During 1969 nearly 7,000 different customers were served in the 15-acre blueberry planting.</p> </div> <div class="reportthis" style="margin-bottom: 20px;"> <form method="post" action="/montrose-mi/report/place/montrose-orchards-montrose-mi.html"> <button type="submit" class="btn btnregister pull-right" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">Flag This Place</button> </form> </div> <div class="report_button_message">Please use "Flag This Place" to alert us about content that is inappropriate or needs immediate attention. Nothing you submit will be shared with other site visitors. </div> <style> .report_button_message { color: #333; font-size: 12px; clear: both; } </style> </div> </div> </div><div class="module clearfix"><div class="module-spacer tout-homefit-750"> <a data-formelementid="CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024" href="/montrose-mi/home-and-community/?intcmp=CSN-LOCAL-HC-PLSK-02272024"><img class="img-responsive" alt="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" title="Explore the free AARP HomeFit Guide" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/touts/HomeFit_750x150.png"></a> </div></div></div> <div class="col-md-4 right-rail thin-rhs"><div class="module clearfix"><!--default--> <!-- module_RHS - AARP Events --> <div class="ar-basic-box module-spacer"> <header> <div class="pull-right"> <a href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS"> <img style="width:30px;" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/template/icons/aarp_event_icon.png" alt="Upcoming AARP Events" /> </a> </div> <h2 class="visible-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> <h2 class="hidden-lg">AARP Events for Montrose</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-listing snippet"> <ul class="list"> <li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/aarp-mi-rhythms-of-life-virtual-rhythm-circle-m3nkbf4dwmp.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RHYTHMS-OF-LIFE-VIRTUAL-RHYTHM-CIRCLE">Rhythms of Life: Virtual Rhythm Circle</a></h2> <p class="time">Saturday, Jan 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/the-basics-for-researching-your-roots-g5n52mxwz2p.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-THE-BASICS-FOR-RESEARCHING-YOUR-ROOTS">The Basics for Researching Your Roots</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 4, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li><li class="item" data-pageindex="1"> <h3 class="topic">Featured Event</h3> <h2 class="title"><a href="/aarp-event/researching-family-land-to-identify-ancestors-x9n8239kvcj.html" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-EVENTS-RESEARCHING-FAMILY-LAND-TO-IDENTIFY-ANCESTORS">Researching Family Land to Identify Ancestors</a></h2> <p class="time">Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET</p> <p class="venue">Online</p> <p class="loc">Online Event</p> </li> </ul> <p><a class="link-red" href="/montrose-mi/aarp-events/" data-formelementid="LOCAL-BTN-CLK-SEEALL-EVENTS">View All AARP Events<i class="ml-1 fas fa-chevron-right"></i></a></p> </div> </div> </div> <div aria-hidden="true" class="aarpe-ad-wrapper"> <div class="aarpe-ad en clearfix" id="300x250_53475" data-adsize="300x250"> <script type="text/javascript"> if(typeof AARP.ads !== 'undefined'){ AARP.ads.slots({ id:'300x250_53475', size:'300x250'}); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="card-tout card-dark membership-tout" style="margin:0 0 30px 0;"> <img class="img-responsive image" title="image of two AARP membership cards" alt="image of two AARP membership cards" src="https://cdn-aarp.americantowns.com/img/tout-two-cards.png"> <div class="title">Only $12 your first year with Automatic Renewal</div> <ul class="list"> <li>Immediate access to your <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/">member benefits</a></li> <li>Discounts on travel and everyday savings</li> <li>Subscription to AARP The Magazine</li> <li>FREE second membership</li> </ul> <div class="action"> <a class="btn" href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/join?campaignid=UAJFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Join AARP</a> <div class="body">Already a member? <a href="https://appsec.aarp.org/mem/renew?campaignid= UARFT3&intcmp=LNK-CSN-AARPLOCAL-JRTOUT-RR-A-MONTROSE-MI">Renew</a> or <a href="https://www.aarp.org/benefits-discounts/my-membership/print-your-card/">Print 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<h2>Contact AARP<br />Michigan</h2> </header> <div class="wrap"> <div class="ar-quick-list module-spacer"> <ul class="list-unstyled"> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-envelope" alt="Email icon" title="Email icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="mailto:MIAARP@aarp.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MIAARP@aarp.org</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-globe" alt="Globe icon" title="Globe icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/region/michigan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AARP Michigan</a></li> <li><i class="list-icon fa fa-map-marker" alt="Map Marker icon" title="Map Marker icon" aria-hidden="true"></i><a href="https://states.aarp.org/welcome-to-aarp-michigan/?intcmp=SNG-LNK-AARPLOCAL-CONTACT-20140101-MONTROSE-MI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aarp.michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Open Facebook"><img alt="Facebook icon" title="Facebook icon" 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