Fresh local strawberries are delicious, & the season is so short! Pick up some tasty berries for today, & put some in the freezer, too!
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Produce
Gift Baskets
Pantry Items
What's Ripe When
Produce
Produce
We provide a wide variety of in-season local fresh fruits & vegetables at Rennhack Orchards Market. We grow most of the produce right on our farm in Hart.
If we don't grow it
we get it from other family farmers who grow high-quality produce. (Local crops we typically get from other farmers include asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, and pears.) All of the fresh fruits and vegetables for sale at our market are fresh from the farm.
Fruits and vegetables that we grow and sell at our market are listed below.
Fruits
Apricots
Customers who have never before eaten one of our apricots often find that they have a new favorite fruit. Fresh apricots are just not the same as dried or canned. Nothing compares with a farm-fresh apricot! Apricots also make a great jam, or you can enjoy them fresh! We grow a variety of Apricots that ripen at different times to extend the season. Our apricots ripen from early July to mid-August. They are touchy to grow, so quantities are often limited.
Tart (Sour) Cherries
We used to grow Tart (Sour) Cherries for the processing market, but have pushed most of the trees out, saving only enough to hand-pick for our market. Our main variety is the traditional pie cherry- Montmorency. Our tart cherries should be available throughout the month of July. We have also have a new variety from Hungary- Balaton. It is firmer and sweeter than a Montmorency and has red juice. It is wonderful to eat fresh, and makes terrific pies, crisps, cobblers, and jams.
Nectarines
Many people are amazed that we have nectarines, thinking they only grow in California. NOT SO! We grow delicious nectarines right on our farm here in West Michigan. A nectarine closely resembles a fuzzless peach, but with juicier and finer-textured flesh. If you like peaches but hate the fuzz, you'll love nectarines! The skin of nectarines is eaten, so it's easy to use them in salads and jamsno peeling needed!
Peaches
Our peaches are known for their great "real peach" flavor. We allow them to ripen on the tree before hand-harvesting, and we've chosen varieties to grow based on good flavor and high quality. Handle peaches gently- visit our peach tips page for more information! Peaches are available in small or large quantitiesfrom one peach to bushels! Among the many varieties of peaches that we grow are the new Flamin' Fury and Stellar Series, as well as the traditional Red Haven and others. Our mid and late season peaches are fully freestone, and are wonderful for canning, freezing and pies, as well as eating fresh. Early varieties may tend to cling to the pit, but are still delicious to eat fresh and enjoy in pies and other treats.
Plums
Our plums ripen from mid-July to late September. We selectively hand-pick them when they are fully ripened. We grow many varieties of plums, each with its own distinctive flavor. Be sure to sample our fresh plums to find your favorite.
Apples
We grow many new and traditional varieties of apples, and have samples at the market so you can try them and find your new favorite! Apples are available at the market as they ripen; don't miss the tasty early varieties while waiting for the later ones! For a better understanding of what shelf life means, visit our informative shelf life page! (Approximate availability shown in parenthesis).
Pristine
(early to mid August). Our first apple to ripen, yellow skin, sweet flavor. Good for eating, sauce; cooks down soft. Very short shelf life.
Earligold
(early to mid August). A yellow-green apple, tart and juicy. Good for eating and great for sauce; cooks down soft. Very short shelf life.
Paula Red
(mid to late August). Similar to McIntosh, but has a shorter shelf life. Good for eating and sauce. Margie's favorite sauce applecook with skins to make a nice pink applesauce! Tart flavor. Very short shelf life.
GingerGold
(late August to early September). A Golden Delicious-type early apple. Sweet flavor. Good for eating and sauce; cooks down soft. Short shelf life.
Zestar
(late August to mid September). Crisp and juicy sweet-tart apple. A favorite for eating fresh! Short shelf life.
SweeTango
(early September to late November). Great new apple with a satisfying "CRUNCH" and a complex yet harmonious flavor combination, SweeTango is the sweet and sassy offspring of Honeycrisp and Zestar. When you eat a SweeTango, you'll eat a great apple every time! SweeTango is a managed apple variety, which means only select, licensed growers can produce SweeTango apples. these family-owned orchards are in the right locations so the fruit will grow properly, and quality standards are met during every step of the growing and harvesting process. It can take 30 years and 10,000 attempts to find just one great tasting apple such as SweeTango. The University of Minnesota, which developed SweeTango, will receive royalty payments from sales of SweeTango to help fund future research efforts in its apple breeding program. Rennhack Orchards Market in Hart will be your local source of SweeTango in the coming years! Visit our SweeTango page for more information about SweeTango apples.
Elstar
(early to late September). Beautiful yellow and red-skinned apple, extremely flavorful, tart-sweet blend. A customer favorite! Great for eating; makes delicious sauce. Yellowish flesh. Cooks down soft. Short shelf life.
Jonamac
(early September to mid October). Cross between McIntosh and Jonathan. Closely resembles McIntosh, but has a redder skin color and a longer shelf life. Tart, good for eating and sauce. Cooks to a soft slice. Short to medium shelf life.
McIntosh
(early September to late October). Traditional favorite for an earlier tart apple. An old-time favorite for sauce and eating fresh. Cooks to a soft slice. Short shelf life.
Gala
(early September to late November). Our very sweetest apple! A favorite with loyal fans. Beautiful yellow and red skin, very sweet for eating fresh, making sauce, and cooking. Cooks to a soft slice. Dehydrate these for a sweet treat- just slice very thinly and dehydrate until crisp. Medium shelf life.
Cortland
(mid September to late November). The whitest fleshed apple; wonderful in salads! Makes beautiful white sauce. An all-around favorite for eating and cooking. Flavorful, with a good sweet-tart blend. Short to medium shelf life
Honeycrisp
(mid September to late December). This apple adds a new dimension to the apple-eating experience! Has an explosively juicy, full-bodied flavor. Marvelous for eating fresh. A unique apple that could become your favorite! Be sure to try it soondon't miss out. Long shelf life.
Jonagold
(mid September to late December). A very large apple, deliciously sweet with tart undertones because of its parents (Jonathan and Golden Delicious). Great all-around apple; holds slice when cooked. Bigger size means less peeling for pies and crisps. Short shelf life.
Jonathan
(late September to late November). Traditional tart, flavorful pie apple; very firm slice when cooked. Good firm apple with yellowish flesh. Medium size for easy eating. Medium shelf life.
Empire
(late September to mid December). Cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Cooks to soft slice. Crisp flesh for eating fresh. Nice for lunch boxes. Medium shelf life.
Rome
(early October to late November). Dark red skin with firm, dense, sweet white flesh. Traditional favorite for baking. Holds shape well when cooked. Long shelf life.
Golden Delicious
(early October to late December). Traditional favorite for a sweet, full-flavored apple. Yellow skin and flesh, firm texture. Good all-around for eating and cooking. Holds a slice when cooked. Medium shelf life.
Ida Red
(early October to late December). One of the best "keepers"; long shelf life. Traditional all-around favorite tart apple; red skin, white flesh, good for eating fresh and cooking. Holds a firm slice when cooked. Makes a tasty, lumpy sauce.
Mutsu (Crispin)
(early October to late December). Exceedingly large apple with yellow-green skin and yellowish flesh. Good flavor with sweet-tart blend. Great all-around for eating and cooking. Holds a slice when cooked. Big size means less peeling for pies and crisps. Medium shelf life.
Red Delicious
(early October to late December). Dark red apple, very mild flavor. Yellowish flesh. Traditional apple for eating fresh. Not recommended for salads or cooking. Medium shelf life. Fuji: (early October to late December). A very hard, dense apple with extremely long shelf life. Best for eating fresh; stays quite hard when cooked. Sweet, mild flavor.
Sweet Cherries
We hand-harvest all of our fresh sweet cherries for our market when they're ripe and delicious. We have many varieties of sweet cherries, each available for about one week in a normal season, extending our sweet cherry season to about four weeks. Sample before you buy at our market!.
Black Sweet Cherries
Black Sweet Cherries are the type of cherry with dark or red flesh instead of white or yellowish flesh. The skin ranges in color from red to black, depending on the variety. We hand-harvest all of the cherries we sell at the market!
Cavalier (late June).
The best early black sweet. Terrific flavor. If you liked Schmidts, try Cavalier®! If you've never had Schmidts, try Cavalier®! A very delicious cherry!.
Ulster (early to mid July).
A great cherry- very tasty with firmer texture. Dark red color, flavorful, tends to be larger sized. Resembles Schmidt.
Kristen (early July).
A new, flavorful variety. Sweet and tasty cherries with dark skin.
Hudson (mid to late July).
A marvelous, flavorful cherry, firm and sweet! Good for you to ship. Hudsons are "shy" producers, so quantities are usually limited.
Regina (late July).
Our largest black sweet cherry! Developed in Europe, this is a firm and flavorful cherry. Regina trees yield fewer cherries, but their outstanding qualities are why we grow them. Limited quantities available.
Light Sweet Cherries
have a yellow or yellow and red skin and yellow or white flesh. These are sweet, not tart, cherries. Light sweets stay "pretty" for a shorter time than black sweets, so enjoy them right away. Light sweets look gorgeous when mixed with dark sweets. Take a bowl to potluck, or serve them to your family, or just enjoy them yourself!
Emperor Francis (mid July).
Beautiful, very sweet cherry. Firmer flesh, yellow skin with a red blush.
Other Varieties (as available):
We are experimenting with some other light sweet cherries- some so new they just have numbers, not names! Try them at the market when you stop by!.
Vegetables
Tomatoes
Our tomatoes ripen late July through late September (first hard freeze). The best quantities for canning are late August to mid September.We grow tomatoes for early ripening, covering them with low tunnels that act like mini-greenhouses to promote early growth and frost protection. We remove the tunnels after the plants get a good, early start.All of our tomatoes are staked to maintain higher quality. We hand-pick them when they are vine ripened. We grow grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, beefsteak-type tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes.
Peppers
We start our bell peppers under a low tunnel system to increase the heat for good early growth. We use mulch to prevent weeds, and use trickle irrigation under the mulch. We grow green and other colors of peppers for variety, and hand-harvest our peppers as they become ripe. We also grow several varieties of hot peppers, including Hungarian Wax, Red Chili, Jalapeno, Habanero, & others.
Eggplant
We start our eggplants under a low tunnel system for increased warmth and growth. We use mulch to control weeds, and install trickle irrigation under the mulch to provide moisture without wasteful evaporation. We hand-harvest our eggplant when ripe.
Cucumbers
We grow a limited quantity of burpless cucumbers for fresh slicing and salads. We hand-harvest them as they ripen, checking daily.
Melons
Dave loves a good sweet melon, so he is always on the lookout for good varieties to grow. We usually grow small personal-size melons, as well as the regular sizedcantaloupes. We also grow a few varieties of watermelon.
Zucchini & Summer Squash
We use mulch to keep weeds down, and trickle irrigation to water our summer squash & zucchini. We pick them daily when ripe, to provide a fresh supply for you.
Pumpkins
We raise pumpkins that are small (2 4 pounds), medium (10 15 pounds) and large (20 60 pounds). We also raise white and specialty pumpkins.
Squash
Our squash are Acorn, Butternut, and Buttercup types. They become available in mid to late September.
Gourds
Our gourds are the small, decorative Bottle, Swan Wing, Warted, and Mini-Pumpkin types.
Sweet Corn
We grow many varieties of bi-color sweet corn selected for great, sweet flavor and tenderness. You can always count on freshness at our marketwe start picking sweet corn in the morning to sell that day, and continue picking throughout the day to keep up with customer demand. Nothing beats just-picked, delicious corn! And, of course, we hand-harvest all of our corn.You can trust our market for fresh, local produce every day. We grow nearly all we sell on our farm, just around the corner from the market.
Gift Baskets
Ready-to-Go Gift Baskets Make it Easy
We have a selection of ready-to-go gift baskets at our market, or you can visit our market and customize your own gift basket with a variety of gifts and pantry items that we have available.Long-distance gifting is convenient with our shipping options. Apple shippers are available in season (not able to ship fresh apples to CA, AZ, HI).
Custom Gift Baskets for Personal Giving
We can create unique gift baskets with your budget, the occasion, & the recipient's preferences in mind. Our extensive selection of Oceana County and Michigan-made products and Michigan-themed items give endless options to customize your gifts. Our complimentary handmade gift tag adds that special personal touch.
Corporate Gift Baskets
If you are interested in ordering corporate gift baskets, we are happy to help you select special items that fit your budget. Pick-up and shipping options are available. Margie, our Gift Basket Guru, is skilled at putting together just the right baskets for your needs.
Michigan-Themed Gift Basket Items
Our Michigan-themed items include a selection of beautiful laser-cut wood products featuring the Little Point Sable Lighthouse, Oceana County Asparagus, Cherries, or Apples on the following items: key chains, pens, pocketknives, lighters, magnets, money clips, photo frames, Christmas ornaments, and more.
Other Gift Basket Items
We have a great assortment of gourmet edibles, including no-sugar-added products, local maple syrup and honey, jams, salsas, snacks, and more. Other items we carry for gift baskets include soup mixes, individual coffees, teas, delicious caramels, cookbooks and kitchen items, and much more!.
Gift Basket Containers & Finishing Touches
Your gifts will look great in our containers! Options include paperboard basket boxes in a myriad of colors and prints, locally handmade wood crates with cutouts of an apple or the state of Michigan on the end panels, and a variety of assorted willow, wooden, and wicker baskets. We use colorful crinkle to cushion the gift items, wrap it all in clear cello, and tie it with colorful ribbon or raffia. Our complimentary handmade gift tag will fit the occasion.
Sample Gift Baskets
Below are samples of a few gift baskets that are available at our market. All of our gift baskets can be customized.
Oceana County and Michigan-Made Gift Basket Items
Our local and Michigan-made gift basket items include a wide variety of pantry items that can be included during the seasons we are open.:
Gourmet jams, Jellies and Toppings
Award-Winning Maple Syrup
Raw Local Honey
Asparagus Guacamole
Pickled Asparagus
Gourmet Mustards
Michigan Mints and Cherry Chocolates
Dried Cherries (Plain, Yogurt-Covered, Milk Chocolate-Covered and Dark Chocolate-covered)
Flavored Pretzels
Pancake Mixes
Bread Mixes
Gourmet Cookie Mixes
Local Specialty Cheeses
Useful Themed Notebooks
Local Organic Granola
Amazing, crunchy organic granola is great by itself for a snack, or as a topping for yogurt.
Locally Made Organic & Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
These hefty cookies are great for breakfast or snacks, and are a favorite with cyclists who stop in for a treat!
Locally made flavored popcorn
The Kernel's Place makes flavored popcorn right in Hart, in the Starting Block! We carry their popcorn in several flavors.
Pantry Items
Dried Cherries
Delicious as a snack, or in cookies, muffins, and salads, dried cherries can be substituted for raisins in any favorite recipe to give it more zing! Although our dried cherries contain sugar, they still have a good tart "bite" and are much more flavorful than raisins. We sell dried tart cherries--plain or covered with chocolate or yogurt--in quantities ranging from snack size to four-pound boxes. Our cherries are dried commercially in West Michigan. We also carry a locally produced line of dried fruit from Peterson Farms in nearby Shelby. Beautifully packaged fruit includes dried cherry blends, cranberries, blueberries, and apples. Cherry juice concentrate is also a tasty and convenient product that we have available at our market.
Jams
Some of our jams are made locally in Oceana County by Wheeler Farms of Hart. Rennhack Orchards fruit is used for many of the varieties of jam. These jams are made "just like Grandma used to"- a single batch at a time, by hand, not in a factory. We also carry gourmet jams made in West Michigan, and an extensive selection of jams, jellies, preserves, and no-sugar-added spreads made in Michigan and elsewhere in the USA.
Maple Syrup and Honey
Our honey is produced by bees flying locally, and is a "raw" natural product. Our pure maple syrup is provided by an award-winning local family farmer who is known for high quality products. Refrigerated maple cream is a gourmet's delight and a family treat, equally tasty on crackers or peanut butter toast. For a no-mess natural maple product, try pure maple sugar sprinkles on hot cereal, toast, muffins, ice cream, pudding, cooked carrots or squash, and more!.
Salad Dressings
We carry a wide variety of specialty and gourmet salad dressings from West Michigan and elsewhere in the USA. Some of our salad dressings feature cherries, other feature Vidalia onions, some are nonfat, and all are tasty!.
Salsas
Our salsas taste great in recipes or with chips! We carry a wide variety of salsas, including salsa that features cherries. For a great cracker spread, mix some salsa with room temperature cream cheese and refrigerate.
Toppings
We carry a variety of gourmet toppings made in Michigan and elsewhere in the U.S.A. Our no-sugar-added blueberry topping is great for special diets, and it's hard to beat cherry topping for waffles, ice cream, pancakes, cheesecake, and more!.
Asparagus Products
We carry locally made asparagus guacamole and pickled asparagus. It's a great way to enjoy asparagus in the off season!.
Ready-to-Make Mixes
Who doesn't appreciate something that's easy and good? We carry Michigan-made gourmet mixes for pancakes, breads, and cookies. They're great for gifts, or for tasty treats that you can make at home!.
Snack Items
Flavored pretzels and flavored popcorn add fun to snack time.
What's Ripe When
The 2015 crop season is close to normal. Here's the best guess at this time of when to expect Oceana County crops to begin (always depending upon the weather, of course).
Currently
Asparagus (harvest should continue through mid-June).
Mid June
Local Strawberries.
Early July
Our Sweet Cherries, Apricots, & Zucchini.
Mid July
Our Tart Cherries & Local Blueberries.
Late July
Our Peaches & Summer Plums, our Famous Sweet Corn, our Tomatoes & Peppers, Local Green Beans
Early August
Our Nectarines, Apples & Melons.
Early September
Our SweeTango(R) & Honeycrisp Apples, Our Fall Plums, Local Pears, Our Winter Squash.
Mid September
Our Pumpkins & Decorative Gourds, Our Apples (many varieties) through fall as they ripen.
Get your locally-grown farm-fresh produce at Rennhack Orchards Farm Market in Hart, where we grow it for you and do gift baskets, too! We grow a large variety of fruits and vegetables right here on our family farm in Oceana County. We also specialize in local and Michigan-made gift items and foods of high quality.