PLYMOUTH, Mich. – There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate fall in Michigan, but few traditions are more popular than a trip to the cider mill.
Read: This was just voted the best cider mill in Metro Detroit
But Michigan’s cider mill tradition is rooted in more than seasonal activities. It starts with the state’s apple industry.
Michigan produces roughly 1 billion pounds of apples each year, making it one of the nation’s top apple-producing states. According to the Michigan Apple Committee, the state has almost twice as many apple trees as people.
So, what makes Michigan such a good place to grow apples?
Cool autumns, fertile soil and the moderating effects of the Great Lakes all play a role. Lake effect can help stabilize temperatures, while the glaciers that carved out the Great Lakes also helped create the mineral-rich soil that supports Michigan’s orchards.
Cider mills are deeply rooted in the state’s agricultural history. Michigan’s oldest operating cider mill is older than the Eiffel Tower. It was established during the presidency of Grover Cleveland. The first one.
As orchards became part of Michigan’s rural economy, farms began pressing apples and selling cider directly to the public.
Today, cider mills remain a major fall attraction. Families visit for the cider and doughnuts, but many also come for pumpkin patches, hayrides, petting zoos and corn mazes.
The tradition combines Michigan agriculture, tourism and a taste of the changing season -- making cider mills a core part of fall in the state.
