Deerfield, Michigan
Founded: 1935

Walter E. Swindeman, Sr. planted his first apple trees in what would become Applewood Orchards in the fall of 1935.

By 1958, Walter’s son, Bernie, took over the orchard, and after years of steady growth, they built one of the first controlled atmosphere rooms in the United States. As the years went on, they kept building more controlled atmosphere storage rooms and taking on outside growers so they could keep up with the demand from their customers including several major grocery chains.

Applewood Orchards incorporated in 1963, and in the mid-1970’s, Bernie’s three sons got involved in running the family business. Today, the three sons run the business, which includes more than 450 acres of apples and plans for continued expansion.

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