Traverse City’s Elderberry Farms Estate – Michigan’s first commercial elderberry farm – is open to the public, ready with organically grown, direct-to-consumer elderberry products and an expanding set of agritourism offerings.
“I really do think there are so many different facets in how it benefits the community, our environment, [and] just people’s health and happiness …,” said owner Samantha Fall. “I just hope that people find it as a nice space to reconnect with nature and agriculture and maybe inspire them to start their own garden and grow their own food.”
The 14-acre farm has grown steadily since Fall bought the property in 2019, offering u-pick lavender and berries, a café, classes and an event venue, plus a homestay, where guests can stay on the farm and partake in farm chores.
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In its farmers market, visitors can find dried elderberries, elderberry tea blends, elderberry jam, elderberry extract, as well as raw honey, goats milk soap and holistic products, plus eggs, meat and produce from other local farms.
“[I’d like people to] try out different natural products, so we don’t have to have everything that’s made with chemicals,” she said. “It’s often much better for your health.”
Health is what first captured Fall’s interest in elderberries. The blue-black berries -- about the size of peas – are considered superfoods, packed with vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. They have been used globally for centuries in traditional medicine for healing purposes, known for their anti-inflammatory properties and immune system support, especially in treating cold and flu symptoms. While there are limited studies in modern medicine to support this, Fall’s own experience was enough to convince her to embrace the fruit.
She said she hasn’t had the flu since she started taking elderberry syrup nearly 20 years ago. Perhaps even more significantly, she uses elderberry and a combination of vitamins, minerals and other medicinal herbs to treat her vitiligo – an autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment. Although her doctors told her there was little they could do, she said she’s cured about 90 percent of the disease on her own.
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“People can do their own research and talk with their doctors and see if it’s something that works for them,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful experience being able to use plant medicine and naturopathic approaches, at least for me in my personal use.”
The café is the farm’s newest offering and opened in February, which Fall said was an opportunity to provide a nice, farm-to-table culinary experience for people while also debuting things they’ve grown.
Led by local chef Josh Boyer, it offers a light fare of pastries, sandwiches and salads, plus specialty coffee and other drinks. Elderberry itself makes an appearance on the menu, and guests can enjoy an elder-blue muffin or an elderberry Italian soda or coffee.
The café also offers regular ticketed dinners. Boyer trained at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute and said world cuisine is his specialty. He said he likes learning about the culture behind the food he is studying for a better understanding before trying recipes. Boyer also studied nutrition and tries to source locally as much as he can, with a goal of having at least 90 percent of the menu made of local ingredients.
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“Just having that richness in [locally sourced] food is more beneficial for your health, and it just has a much better flavor profile than store-bought, mass-produced tomatoes [for example] versus one you just go and pick off of the vine yourself,” he said. “There’s a substantial difference in that.”
The farm was part of a larger agribusiness development project for Long Lake Township. Leslie Sickterman, who was a planner for the township at the time, said the township felt growing agribusiness would support their agricultural sector, as well as add jobs and increase food security, so they adjusted their ordinances accordingly.
“I think there were some very forward-thinking leaders at the state level who said the future of agriculture in Michigan really lies in value-added activities,” she said. “[Things] like wineries and agritourism surrounding, like, the cherry industry…that can help to augment and find new markets for agricultural products within the state and beyond the state, and I think that has worked.”
The elderberry farm’s location on M-72 - the only major state highway in the township - west of Traverse City – also made it a good fit, Sickterman said.
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Fall said demand for elderberries has grown significantly, especially as the fruit is finding its way into more health products. She said between 2,500-3,000 more acres of elderberries are needed yearly in the United States to meet demand.
“We’ve had commercial inquiries and then individual inquiries where they want to buy frozen elderberries or u-pick; a lot of people want elderberry syrup…” she said. “It’s a very up-and-coming crop.”
Coming up, Fall plans to build a pole barn with animals to produce their own eggs and meats.
Sickterman said it was inspiring to see Fall succeed and continue to grow.
“She’s had a lot of dreams and she’s really making it come true,” she said. “It’s exciting to watch.”
Erica Hobbs is a writer based in Detroit with a passion for arts and culture and travel. She has reported for numerous news outlets including the Detroit News, Fodors, Business Insider, Reuters, WDET and AnnArbor.com (now the Ann Arbor News), among others.