The air is getting colder, the leaves are starting to fall, and the kids are back in school. For most, fall is traditionally seen as a time to start slowing down after a summer of bustling activities. But for apple growers here in Michigan, that’s not the case at all.
Forging their own Future
Between being out in the orchard and hauling truckloads of apples throughout northern Michigan, there’s no such thing as a slow day for Keaton Foster, owner of Brixstone Farms located in Bear Lake, Michigan.
“It’s crazy busy here for about eight weeks during the harvest, but after that it will go back to normal,” Keaton says. He and his wife Liz, and their 10-15 seasonal employees that work during the harvest time are responsible for nearly 200 acres of fruit trees and maples trees. They produce over 25 varieties of apples and peaches and tap over 2,000 maple trees for homemade maple syrup every year.
Growing up working in maple syrup production with his parents, Keaton knew that he had a passion for farming since the beginning. He attended Michigan State University where he studied Agribusiness Management and met his wife Liz who was studying to be a nurse practitioner. Having also been raised on a farm in Southwest Michigan, Liz was more than supportive of Keaton’s dream to pursue farming.
Although Keaton had a background in maple syrup production, their geographic location proved to be ideal for fruit production. Located minutes from the shores of Lake Michigan, Brixstone Farms has the ideal climate for not only making maple syrup but growing apples and peaches as well.
When they bought the farm from its previous owner, Keaton admitted it was a bit of a new business venture. “I didn’t know that much about growing fruit, but the farm’s previous owner acted as a mentor for us and worked with us to help us be successful in taking over the orchard,” said Keaton.
Brixstone Farms is home to over 25 varieties of apples and peaches, and spans nearly 200 acres.
Protecting their Livelihood
When Keaton and Liz took over the farm, some of the advice from the previous owner was to invest in crop insurance. He had worked with GreenStone for years, and when he transferred ownership of the farm over to them, they also took on the existing crop insurance policy.
“Our crop insurance specialist at the time, Cory Blumerick, worked with us when we first took over the farm, and helped explain what was necessary and what wasn’t,” said Keaton.
The crop insurance policy they kept on their fruit trees that first year ended up paying off big time, however. “Our first year on the farm, we ended up getting a big freeze as well as a hailstorm that ended up taking out some of our trees,” Keaton explained. “If it wasn’t for our coverage through the existing policy, I think things would have turned out a lot different for us that first year.”
After working with Cory for a number of years, he was promoted and they were introduced to their current crop insurance specialist at GreenStone, Trevor Gernaat. “When we started working with Trevor the transition was really seamless. We really appreciated the help both Cory and Trevor gave us, and we never felt like they were trying to sell us something we didn’t need,” said Keaton.
“Keaton is constantly trying to improve their operation, and it’s clear he has a lot of passion for what he does,” says Trevor. “I’m happy to be able to help farmers like him minimize their risk and ensure their operation can continue to run smoothly.”
Keaton Foster grew up working in maple syrup production, but he was ready to take on a new challenge
when he and he wife Liz became the owners of Brixstone Farms orchard in 2019.
Just the Beginning for Brixstone Farms
Since 2019, the Fosters have added an additional 12,000 trees to the farm’s property and have expanded the operation by an additional 65 acres. Their apples are sold to commercial packers, processors and vendors throughout the state of Michigan, and used for products such as apple pie filling, juice, and apple sauce in addition to selling the apples wholesale.
Constantly looking to expand their offerings, they continue to add more varieties of apples to the farm. “Our trees take 3-4 years each to mature, so they’re a huge investment,” says Keaton. “It’s just another reason why having crop insurance is so important to us. We need to protect the investments we’re making in these trees in case they’re destroyed before they have a chance to produce any fruit.”
In addition to actively preserving their fruit trees, Brixstone Farms also places a huge emphasis on their sustainability and conservation efforts around the farm. They are MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program) certified, which recognizes farmers in the state of Michigan who take active steps to minimize their agricultural pollution and is a huge point of pride for Keaton and Liz.
Another proud moment for the Fosters? “Anytime people say our apples are the best they’ve ever had,” says Keaton. “We take a lot of pride in the fruit we produce, and our mission at Brixstone is to continue benefitting our community with farm fresh produce while being good stewards of the land.”
To view the fall 2024 issue of Partners magazine in its entirety, click here.
