Farm & History
Concord Ridge Fruit Farms
A sunset over the vineyard.
Concord Ridge Fruit Farms was founded in 1994. The first grapes were planted in 1996 and were soon delivered to Welch’s for juice and jelly. When searching for a farm to purchase, Terry Holloway noticed that this land was comprised of oshtemo sandy loam soil which is excellent for growing many different crops.
In 2002, the farm began to diversify by planting 1 acre of strawberries as an experiment and opened a road side fruit stand. As word spread, and customers began visiting our farm from miles away, Terry and Tina realized there was a need and a desire for local, homegrown produce in the Southwest Michigan area. Both graduates from Michigan State University with degrees in Agriculture and Business Management, Terry and Tina combined their knowledge and expertise to begin their farm market.
In 2005, a second farm was purchased as Terry saw the potential for a frost-free site with great elevation and a natural slope towards the St. Joseph river for optimum air drainage. Here we found the perfect site for our sweet cherry orchard and our asparagus field.
Terry and Tina continue to expand and plant new crops in response to the requests of our customers. Their main crops include asparagus, strawberries, sweet cherries, raspberries, apples, and grapes. Our family farm believes in and follows sustainable agricultural practices as set by Michigan State University and National Grape Cooperative. We strive to produce the best tasting fruit possible while enriching the land for the next generation of growers.
Our road side fruit stand offers many other locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season including blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, sweet corn, etc. If you can’t visit the farm, you will see Concord Ridge Fruit Farms at both the Niles and Buchanan Farmers Markets every Saturday in the spring, summer, and fall.
We are so thankful for all of the friends we have made and hope to continue to provide you with the freshest homegrown produce in Southwest Michigan! We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you each year.
