Wasem Fruit Farm

Happy October!! Fall is here, and in Michigan that means hot donuts and spiced cider. It also means a very happy Nari :)

Very very happy! This weekend was both unexpectedly and unusually cold. The past week, actually, has been uncharacteristically chilly and rainy. If memory serves me correctly, it's not usually this cold in October. Good news is, temps are expected to go back up for the rest of the month. And thus ends the weather forecast portion of this entry. Despite the cold, it was a gorgeous and sunny day, and every day is a perfect 80 when you're in good company (partly cheesy, part clichely, 100% true).

There are a LOT of cider mills and orchards anywhere in Michigan. The one we went to on Saturday is a called Wasem Fruit Farm in Milan (pronounced MY-len, therefore not the one in Italy... more like the conductive sheath of the axon of a neuron), just 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.

A line of eager customers starts outside the building. The setup is pretty interesting. When you hit the inside of the building, on your left you get to observe the donut-making process - from the batter being poured into the piping machine, the machine piping out the rings into the fryer, certain lucky donuts being cinnamon-sugared. Then you'll hit the display/ordering window. You get to pick from quite an array of donuts: plain, apple, and pumpkin; plain, glazed (vanilla, chocolate, maple), cinnamon sugar. You can order donuts by the [half] dozen. We ordered a dozen between the four of us, each getting three of our choice. I had cinnamon sugar apple, plain apple (why didn't I get plain pumpkin?), and chocolate glazed plain. SO GOOD. ALL OF THEM. So soft. Not too dense. Not too bland, not too sweet. Perfect. And no doubt all the other flavors are just as amazing. I think our turn to order was between batches, so the donuts weren't piping hot... so can you imagine how exponentially more heavenly that would be? I have to move on to something else before I drool all over my keyboard. This is also where you can order cups of cold cider, hot cider, or hot spiced cider. Further to the right you'll find a market area where you can buy [half] gallons of cider and fresh seasonal fruits. I didn't explore the rest of the building, but I imagine they also have butters/jams/jellies? Maybe pies? I'm sure this info is on the website. Or just go to the farm to find out! But for sure right now you can buy various apples and pears by the [half] peck and [half] bushel. This is still food talk... still salivating more than is natural. Change topic. Continuing with setup. Once you've picked up your vittles, work your way in reverse back out to the entrance where you'll pay at the register at a table on the porch.

There are a few picnic tables and benches outside so you can take in the nature around you while you tantalize your tastebuds with the tasty tushy-tender treats and warm your body (and the cockles of your heart) knowing that the trees behind you bear the treasure with which the cider steaming in your cup was made. Longest sentence ever. But hopefully you get the picture.

And if the kiddies are restless after filling up on these sweet goodies (or if you're just a kid at heart), there's a corn maze just a stone's throw away. We didn't do the corn maze that afternoon, but maybe one day... hmm...

After an exhaustive and exhausting Google search (I'm apparently into double-adjectives today), I found that there isn't a good place to find cider and donuts in the DC area. Most are deeper into Maryland or Virginia. I found one relatively close that has been given my approval in Baltimore. So anyone in the area, give Weber's Cider Mill a try.

Having grown up in Saudi Arabia and spent my high school years in Houston, I love fall in Michigan- a season you don't really get to experience in either Saudi or Texas. The spectrum of yellow to red trees, people bundled up in a light North Face and hat, and hot donuts and spiced cider will forever have a place in my heart lovingly labeled Michigan. And now I can look forward to moving on with fall having had my first taste of autumn :) Yummers!!!!

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www.wasemfruitfarm.com
www.talladayfarms.com
www.webersfarm.com