We have been fortunate to work with Dean Slater and Mike Keyes from PKS Heirlooms since 2013.  Located in Copemish, Michigan, the duo started growing heirloom tomatoes on 60 acres of family land in 2001. Since that time, PKS has expanded to include potatoes, peppers, eggplants and fall squashes. One of their squash varieties is especially dear to our heart.

Last week I visited Sweeter Song Farm, a local certified organic fruit and vegetable farm owned and operated by Judy Reinhart and Jim Schwantes. The farm is located on eighty acres, five miles north of Cedar in Leelanau County.  My first reaction to Sweeter Song Farm was one of awe at the sheer size of the operation.

Leelanau county is home to more than 11,250 acres of cherries, and Stanton Orchards owns and farms over 320 of them.  Purchased as a hobby farm by Earl Stanton in 1960, Stanton Orchards has evolved into a large and impressive commercial cherry operation under the direction of Greg Stanton who is Earl's grandson and now co-owns the business with three of his siblings.  When Greg took over the operation the orchards where deteriorating due to mismanagement and aging or neglected trees.

Hooray!  It’s Saskatoon berry season in Leelanau County!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with these yummy berries, Saskatoons are a deep purple, nutrient dense fruit resembling a blueberry.  They are considered a “Super Fruit” due to their high levels of antioxidants, protein, fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium, manganese, barium, and aluminum which are superior to most other small super fruits - including the blueberry.  They are also incredibly delicious.

Aptly named, Idyll Farms is an idyllic, Certified Humane® goat farm and creamery located in Northport, Michigan.  Nestled on nearly 200 acres of rolling hills, Idyll Farms Alpine goats are pasture fed using a rotational system to ensure the best nutrition for the goats and the best treatment of the land.  Because the diet of Idyll Farms goats directly impacts the flavor of their cheeses (Leelanau terroir – “a taste of

Located between Lake Leelanau and Suttons Bay, this five generation, 184-acre farm was homesteaded by Johann Bremer in 1865.

A conversation with Jack Davis of Roaster Jack Coffee is akin to a good cup of coffee - warm, balanced and energizing first thing in the morning.

Leelanau Cheese

We have been using Leelanau Cheese on our menu since almost the very beginning.  Part of what makes their cheese so special and delicious is the education and romance that is the history of Leelanau Cheese.

Antoine Manseau founded the town of Leland in 1852, and at that time, the town was primarily a logging town.  Jacob Schwarz, a German immigrant to Leelanau County, constructed the original Riverside Inn in 1901.  Mr. Schwarz had previously been involved in the logging industry, partially owning three different saw mills.  As a former resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, Schwarz recognized a potential market for Leland in the summer tourist trade.  Wealthy residents of Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati and Detroit were looking for locations for their summer getaways.