Brandon Twp.- In 1965, Dennis and Sharon Ashton bought a house and a 4-acre parcel of land that happened to have apple trees.
They had no knowledge of caring for fruit trees, but half a century later, they have proven themselves adept at the craft. This fall, the couple is celebrating 50 years in business at Ashton Orchards.
‘I didn’t know anything about apples,? said Dennis Ashton of that long-ago day he and Sharon purchased property off Sashabaw Road, between Waldon and Maybee roads in Clarkston. ‘The neighbor told me what to spray and I borrowed his tractor and sprayer.?
Dennis and Sharon went to work raising apples and raising children? they have four daughters, all of whom they put through college debt-free thanks to a business that has also benefitted their 10 grandchildren.
‘It’s provided a good income and we’ve met a lot of very good people? both employees and customers,? said Sharon. ‘We value our customers who are loyal. We’ve done our best and made it a success.?
She adds that the business, which is open part-time but a year-round job, started as a hobby for Dennis, who retired from General Motors after more than 32 years of service in 1990. For Sharon, it was a full-time job.
They planted at least 300 trees that first year and began by selling their apples from their garage and at a Sashabaw roadside stand. A few years later, in 1968, they started sales at the Pontiac Farmers Market. The same year, they added six acres to their Clarkston orchard. In 1976, they purchased 17 acres of vacant land in Brandon Township, two years later started planting apple trees and in 1982, began production at 3925 Seymour Lake Road. They built a barn on the property in 1983 and opened a market in the building in 1987. By 1999, they were harvesting all of their fruit in the township.
Today, they have approximately 2,000 fruit trees covering 22 acres.
When they began, red delicious apples were popular, and Empire and Ida Red were new varieties. Now, red delicious have fallen out of favor with many and Gala and Honeycrisp have gained followers in the past several years. Both Dennis and Sharon name Gala as their favorite apple. They also grow numerous other apple varieties, including golden delicious, Northern Spy, McIntosh, Paula Red, Jonathons and Mutsu.
The art of raising a healthy apple crop involves proper trimming of trees to prevent stunted growth, as well as spraying against devastating apple scab, as well as for bugs. In recent years, the Ashtons have hired a consultant from Integrated Pest Management to check for diseased trees. If the consultant doesn’t find scab, they don’t have to spray for that, but must still spray for insects up until about July.
Like other farmers, the Ashtons are at the mercy of the weather. An unusually warm day in March a few years ago, followed by a hard frost in April, killed most of their apple crop.
?2012 was by far the worst frost event,? said Dennis. ‘We had never had less than half a crop before then, but that year we did. It also killed all the plum trees and most of the peach trees.?
Over the years, Dennis has enjoyed growing the trees, trimming them, and watching them do what he wants? produce a bumper crop.
‘I never get sick of apples,? he said.
That fondness for apples is one reason why the Ashtons and their staff of part-time employees are the only ones allowed to pick fruit. He can’t bear the thought of customers throwing more on the ground than they put in a bag.
Last year, the orchard produced 2,000 bushels of apples and in 2013, the year after the devastating frost, they produced 3,000 bushels. This year, he anticipates at least 2,500 bushels of apples. Ashton Orchards also offers cider and many baked goods including pies, bread, cookies, and their number one seller, doughnuts, baked fresh daily. Details: 248-627-6671.