• Our Story

    A woman-owned, family business since 1977, Mary Emmett established the orchard and developed it into a veritable touchstone for her community. While her vision for wholesome family entertainment and organic agriculture forms the foundation of Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill, she is the first to admit it’s the dedicated, returning staff who make every visit a memorable experience. From cider pressing to donut-making, wagon rides to live entertainment, there is no better place to experience the best of a traditional autumn in Michigan.

  • 1977

    The Emmett Family purchased the first 60 acres to what is now Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill along Warren and Ann Arbor roads in a rural, scenic area of Plymouth, Michigan. An initial 5,000 apple trees were planted to establish the orchard and nine varieties of apples took root.

  • 1982

    What was originally a milk house on the farm was converted into a cider mill. That same year, Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill began its inaugural operations. Over three weekends we sold the first 100 gallons of hand pressed cider for our initial season.

  • 2004

    What began in the mid 90’s as a simple white shed with a gravel floor was renovated into The Red Shed Market, a cozy shop heated by a wood stove and adorned with a wrap-around porch and picnic tables where visitors can enjoy fresh pressed cider and hot donuts or stop in to buy one of our famous pies.

  • 2013

    Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill earns the award for Michigan’s Best Apple Cider at the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market and Greenhouse Growers Expo in Grand Rapids. The organization had previously awarded us with a Best Cider Mill Donuts and second place for Michigan’s Best Apple Cider.

    Plymouth Orchards & Cider Mill began its transition to become the fully organic, working farm it is today in 2013. It took three years to make the transition, ensuring a healthy future. Organic blackberries, peaches, raspberries and strawberries, as well as asparagus and small grains like rye and malt are all grown organically today.

  • 2018

    We added solar electric panels to the property at Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill. By obtaining a grant from Michigan State University the solar electric panels were installed near our cold storage and cider mill facilities. They will create up to 70 percent of the electricity we need to operate, year-round.

Meet the Team!

Our Team

At Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill we operate a year-round organic farm with a small crew. As orchard season arrives, our staff grows to accommodate the visitors who come to the mill. We are proud that so many of our employees return year after year to press cider, bake pies, make caramel apples and drive the tractor. Some of our long-term employees have been here over 25 years! We strive to offer a memorable experience to all who visit us!

Learn Why We Are No Longer Organically Certified...

In 2013, Plymouth Orchards and Cider Mill began the three-year transition to becoming a certified organic working farm. We made that commitment because caring for our soil, plants, pollinators, and the environment has always been an important part of how we farm.

After years of farming organically, we have made the difficult decision to no longer maintain our organic certification. Increasing pest pressure in our area has made it increasingly challenging to grow healthy, high-quality crops using only the treatments and practices permitted under organic certification. At the same time, the cost and availability of organic crop treatments, along with the rising cost of certification, have made maintaining the certification increasingly difficult for our farm.

This change does not mean that our commitment to responsible and sustainable farming has changed. We will continue to carefully manage our orchards and crops, protect the health of our soil and plants, and make thoughtful decisions about the products and practices we use. We remain committed to protecting the environment and maintaining a healthy farm for future generations.

Our commitment extends beyond the orchard. We continue to keep bees on the property to support pollination, and our solar electric panels help provide up to 70% of the electricity needed to operate our main cider mill building.

While we are no longer a certified organic farm, we are still committed to being good stewards of the land, producing high-quality fruit, and continually looking for responsible ways to care for our farm and the environment.

We appreciate the support of our customers as our farm evolves, and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue growing and sharing our crops with the community.

 

  • Square Links Plan A School Tour
  • Our Story Left

See What We've Been Up To!

View More