Iowa City orchard offers up Michigan blueberries

IOWA CITY - Michigan transplant Paul Rasch, proprietor of Wilson's Orchard in rural Iowa City since 2009, still misses the cherries, blueberries, peaches and apricots that he used to grow with his family along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Because such fruits are not commercially viable in Iowa, Rasch imports them from his Wolverine State friends and family each summer for the enjoyment of his customers.

The plump, flavorful fruit 'usually sells out by the end of the day when it's available,” he said.

Michigan blueberries 'the size of marbles” are to be on sale from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the orchard, 4823 Dingleberry Road NE, Rasch said. Cherries 'are done for the year,” but Michigan peaches and apricots are coming on by mid-August, he said.

Compared to similar fruits grown in Iowa, the Michigan imports are 'at least as flavorful but bigger in size and of a more consistent size,” Rasch said.

Rasch, a fourth-generation fruit grower, said winters in Iowa are too cold for commercial production of blueberries and common pit or stone fruits such as cherries, peaches and apricots.

'You can do it on a home basis, but eventually the tree is going to die and you will have to start over,” he said.

Though winters are similarly cold in Michigan, the tempering effect of Lake Michigan provides a microclimate that makes western Michigan one of the best places in the world to grow blueberries and pit fruit, he said.

Rasch said he is a 'big believer” in locally grown produce and also believes in taking advantage of a 'fantastic source” for fruit grown outside the state.

While Iowa may be less hospitable to blueberries and pit fruit, Rasch said he thinks 'we grow better tasting apples than they do in Michigan.”

Rasch raises more than 130 apple varieties on 60 acres - 40 acres at the home orchard and another 20 acres on a farm near Solon.

After 'dodging a couple of frost bullets this spring, this year's apple crop looks fantastic,” Rasch said just ahead of the orchard's official opening for the season on July 30.

In addition to early season apples such as the popular Gala variety, the orchard offers its signature apple turnovers and frozen, ready-to-bake pies with fillings of Iowa-grown apples and Michigan-grown cherries and blueberries.

The Wilson's Orchard crew on Tuesday mass produced 120 blueberry pies, each a work of art in the eyes of a pie lover. Apple turnovers and tart cherry pies were scheduled for assembly on Wednesday.

The pies and the imported fruit fit into Rasch's plans to expand the orchard's retail sales beyond the traditional August through October season.

The orchard also began pressing its own cider last year and is to begin selling it later this year at an events center overlooking Rapid Creek in the scenic orchard.

The two-story, 5,000-square-foot reconstructed barn, scheduled to open in October, also is to be available as a venue for weddings, anniversaries, reunions and other events.

As for the Michigan blueberries being sold Saturday, orchard officials said they used to take orders, but now it's first-come, first-served. Blueberries cost $4 per pound or $34 for a 10-pound box.

If you can't make it out Saturday, orchard officials said they plan to also sell blueberries during opening weekend July 30-31.

For more information, visit Wilson's Orchard on Facebook, the orchard's website at www.wilsonsorchard.com or call 319-354-5651.

Blueberry Fact

Here are some facts about blueberries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Ag Council:

' Blueberries have 80 calories per cup and a high level of antioxidants

' Blueberries are high in vitamins A and C

' Blueberries are a good source of manganese, for bone development, dietary fiber, for heart health, and polyphenols which possess anti-inflammatory properties.

' More than 5.6 million pounds of blueberries were produced in 2014. The average yield was 6,700 pounds per acre.

' Michigan leads the nation in growing blueberries and produces more than 30 different varieties. About 600 farms grow blueberries on nearly 21,000 acres.