Guest View: Visit to Middleton Berry Farm in Ortonville

(Marissa Prince, June 17, 2017)

Ortonville, MI – Middleton Berry Farm is a small, family-owned “you pick” farm in North Oakland County.  It is located off Oakwood Road between 24 and M-15 (4790 Oakwood Road in Ortonville).  We frequent this berry farm and feel that it’s worth a day trip for those living in Southern Oakland County.

Middleton Berry Farm has a short strawberry season early each summer, followed by a long raspberry season in the summer and early fall, as well as you-pick vegetables.  They provide containers and wagons and teach you how to pick the various produce.  They are working towards entirely organic practices at the farm.

Aside from the berries, we have picked hot peppers, eggplant, many types of tomatoes including heirloom, green beans, rhubarb, and pumpkins.  They also have a short asparagus season in the late spring.

We follow their guidelines for cleaning the berries, and we freeze them to enjoy all year long.  Its great to enjoy produce that you picked yourself !

Before or after picking, you could have a nice lunch in Oxford at 51 Diner or in Ortonville at O’Malley’s Galley – both are affordable and use fresh ingredients.  You could also swing by the nearby Wojo’s Greenhouse for plants.

A couple of important notes about Middleton : they don’t accept credit cards, so you will need cash or check.  The nearest ATM is at the intersection of Oakwood and Baldwin inside of a small store.  Also, they post their picking times on their Facebook page, and sometimes items become “picked out” – strawberries in particular.  So if you plan to travel a distance, I would send them a Facebook message in advance to discuss possible weather issues or produce shortages for that day.

Today’s post, for example, said “We have had a lot of pickers the last couple of days and tomorrow will be light picking only. If you’re looking for a couple of quarts to make a Father’s Day strawberry pie, come on by. If you’re looking for a couple of flats, we suggest waiting until next week. Thanks!”

I hope that other families and individuals are able to enjoy Middleton as much as we do.  We find it to be a very relaxed and friendly place that focuses on the product and the people.

Middleton Berry Farm is located at 4790 Oakwood Road – five miles east of Ortonville, MI, between M-15 and M-24.  Check them out online at http://www.middletonberryfarm.com/. For updates see Facebook.