Market Musings: Nyblad Family Farms sells fresh fruit

Fruit can be kind of a fickle thing. Many people don't like the tedious task of picking them off of bushes, one by one, searching out the best looking ones and hoping they taste as good as they look. Even harder than that is getting them off of trees, climbing up a ladder to do the same thing, then climbing back down, then setting up and doing it all over again. There has got to be a better way to get to these without the work. 

There is: Nyblad Family Farm in Casnovia, which sets up shop here in Grand Rapids at the Fulton Street Farmers Market. Although the stand that day was prominently cherries, Luanne Nyblad said they have more acres of apples than anything. 

"Basically we grow anything on a tree," she said. "We have cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, all that stuff."

Nyblad's harvesting season starts in May, not above ground but on it: she said her son-in-law has planted about ten acres of asparagus. They harvest the rest of their crops through November 1. She noted that they grow two different types of cherries, tart and sweet.

"The tart cherries we grow are dessert cherries," she said. "You make pie and jam out of those. Sweet cherries, you can freeze them on a cookie sheet, and they're loose, so you can snack on them all winter, just scoop out a cup of them and eat them while you watch TV all winter." 

Nyblad spoke not only about the farmer's advantage, but also the consumer's advantage to buying local from the market.

"It keeps the money in the community. It helps out the farmer, and hopefully we help out the customer in giving them fresh produce that hasn't sat on a truck for a week shipping out from Washington. I think it's a win win for everybody."

Nyblad Farms sets up shop on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at the Fulton Street Farmers Market. Next time you want some fresh hanging fruit, stop by Nyblad Farms' stand. They'll be sure to have what you're looking for.