From Orchard to Table: A Fruitful Partnership with BelleHarvest

Founded in 1957, BelleHarvest is Michigan’s largest apple and vegetable grower and shipper, supplying about 20% of the state’s fresh apples. Recently acquiring Michigan Fresh Marketing, they’ve expanded to offer a variety of vegetables and are actively partnering with more growers to meet rising retail demand. At BelleHarvest, quality produce and agricultural growth are paramount.

BelleHarvest growers implement the following sustainable practices:

Soil & Tree Health
• Grafting to repurpose “fruitless” trees to a new variety and architecture
• Seasonal soil testing
• Lab testing of sap within the tree leaves provides real-time snapshots of excesses or deficiencies within the tree
• Eco-friendly mulching
• Utilizing cover crops before planting an orchard to build up the soil nutrients

Pest Management
• Weather models are used to determine pest arrival and insect monitors are placed throughout orchards
• Chemical spray is avoided, and beneficial insects are spared by utilizing pheromones to deter problematic pests

Disease Management
• Using weather models to forecast when disease conditions are at their highest
• Treating problems with naturally derived sulfur and potassium
• Disease pressure monitoring

Check out some of their High Flavor Varieties!

Honeycrisp: The versatile apple that changed the game is still everyone’s favorite. BelleHarvest grows them better and ships them longer than anyone in the Midwest.

SweeTango: SweeTango is crisp and sweet, with a lively touch of citrus, honey and spice.

Evercrisp: This delightful combination of Honeycrisp and Fuji varieties packs a powerful crunch, matched with unbelievable sweetness.

Smitten:Smitten® apples are domestically grown by family-run farms throughout Michigan and to the highest horticultural and environmental standards. They are a refreshing blend of Gala, Braeburn, Fiesta and Falstaff varieties.