November 21st, 2011
If you are in Kalamazoo, Paw Paw, or Mattawan, you now have an easier way to see our gift baskets in person! We have a booth in the A-Z Treasure Shoppe in Mattawan, Michigan, and it is filled with beautiful grab-and-go gifts designed by our Margie, our Gift Basket Guru. Some are easily shippable, fitting neatly into a USPS flat rate shipper for convenience. Our baskets are filled with Michigan-made treats for a gift they will LOVE! Ideal for co-workers, bosses, grandparents, and hard-to-shop-for friends! The A-Z Treasure Shoppe is on the main drag, right behind Mancino’s pizza place, with convenient parking. It is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 to 5. Find it at 52366 N Main Street, Mattawan; phone (269)668-6400.
Of course, our gift baskets are also displayed in o ur market in Hart. We are open through Dec. 30, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and are just a phone call away at 231-873-7523.
Posted in Main Blog
November 7th, 2011
Take the hassle out of the holidays–get our gift baskets for those hard-to-give-to people! They will love getting the gift baskets filled with tasty treats, and you can do it with a phone call (for shippable gifts) or a stop in to the market early in the season, so it is taken care of! From under $15 to over $50, our bags and baskets are good quality and good value, and they show that you care enough to shop locally!
Our gift basket guru, Margie, has put together wonderful baskets that have no-sugar-added items for those on special diets. Another popular option is the breakfast basket, with gourmet pancake mix, pure maple syrup, and more. Delight Mexican-food fans with a basket containing locally famous La Fiesta chips, local asparagus guacamole, and zesty salsa. The snack attack basket, filled with munchy treats, makes a nice gift for teachers, coaches, and office assistants. Need a gift for the boss or co-worker? We can take care of that, too! And if you are a business owner with special customers, save yourself time by giving us your list; we provide handmade gift tags with each gift, to add a personal touch! If you want to send fresh fruit from Michigan, we offer our apple shipper, which nestles each apple in foam for a safe trip to the recipient!
Just remember, early is better! You’ll enjoy the season more, if you take care of your gifts beforehand! We’re open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday through December 30 (closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day only).
Tags: fresh, fruit, gifts, gourmet, local, Michigan, office gifts
Posted in At the Market
November 1st, 2011
According to a number of our customers, our SweeTango(R) apples are better than the ones they have purchased elsewhere. This is interesting, since one objective of having a managed variety is to keep the quality standards up, no matter where the fruit is purchased. Perhaps it shouldn’t be too surprising, though, if you think about it. Dave works hard to grow the best quality apples that he can, and spends a lot of time with the crew at harvest to ensure gentle handling. The apples are promptly stored in our cooler. When we take the apples to the market, it’s just a short little drive, and then our staff continue the gentle handling that prevents bruising. The apples have traveled perhaps a mile from the tree to the consumer.
Contrast that with the grower who has to truck his apples long distances to a packing house, which then sorts and bags them and puts them in another truck to go to a store. Bumpity-bump go the trucks over the roads. The apples may get put in a large bin in the store, where customers can handle them roughly. Hmmm. No wonder there can be a qualitative difference. There is nothing that’s quite as good as fresh from the orchard!
Tags: apples, fresh, orchard, SweeTango(R)
Posted in Main Blog
October 24th, 2011
Apologies to those who tried to visit our website last week & were frustrated. Our server was down for a while, but now we are back up and running. Computers are so amazing when they work, but when they don’t, it’s like swimming in mud.
A correction to the last prediction of how long we will have SweeTango(R) apples at the market: Dave thinks we will have enough to get through most of December. I’m thinking some pies made out of SweeTango(R) would be a nice addition to the Thanksgiving dinner! (Or any dinner, actually!) I like to slice up SweeTango(R), sprinkle on a little vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to keep them from browning, and serve them at parties (with or without dip). They are a healthful treat!
I think the customer who drove 500 miles (from St. Louis, MO) to get our SweeTango(R) apples this past weekend might be our biggest fan! Now, that’s commitment!
Tags: SweeTango(R)
Posted in Main Blog
