What We Grow
Our family-run farm grows a curated selection of specialty fruits and shiitake mushrooms for Southeast Michigan. Come enjoy a family-friendly u-pick experience in our peaceful orchard setting.
Browse our seasonal offerings below.
Log-Grown Shiitake
Our gourmet shiitake are forest-grown the traditional way, inoculated into freshly cut hardwood logs harvested right here on the farm. This slow, natural cultivation process - a world away from the sawdust-block methods used in mass production - draws deep nutrients directly from the wood. This produces a deeply savory, meaty cap with complex umami flavor that holds up beautifully whether sautéed in butter, grilled, or folded into a rich broth. Hand-picked at peak maturity and available in limited quantities throughout the growing season.
Fresh shiitake are available pre-harvested for on-farm pickup. Because fruiting is weather-dependent, availability varies throughout the season. Sign up for our harvest alerts and we'll let you know the moment a flush comes in.
Kiwiberry
Kiwiberries are bite-sized, fuzz-free, and packed with more concentrated flavor and sweetness than fuzzy kiwi you find in stores. Kiwiberry are eaten whole, skin and all - no peeling, no fuss. They are an exceptional source of vitamin C, B8, and a variety of other nutrients.
Ours grow on cold-hardy vines and are harvested in September at peak maturity, firm enough to travel home safely and ready to eat after just a few days on the counter. That brief wait is worth it: the flesh deepens from tart to tropical-sweet, and you'll know they're ready when they are soft like a ripe peach.
The harvest window is only a couple of weeks long, so check back in early September so you don't miss it.
Chestnut
Chestnuts are one of autumn's most beloved traditions across cultures and cuisines, roasted over an open flame, simmered into rich soups, or folded into savory stuffings and sweets. Ours are grown and harvested right here on the farm, with no fumigation or prolonged storage.
U-pick chestnuts are available mid-September through late October, with pre-picked nuts available while supply lasts. The season winds down fast once the trees are done, so check back in September or follow our updates so you don't miss it.
Coming Soon - hopefully beginning fall 2027
Persimmon
Persimmons are one of fall's most underappreciated fruits, beloved across Asian cuisines and the American South yet almost impossible to find truly ripe in any store. Ours ripen late in the season, typically late September through early November, deepening from orange to a rich amber.
We grow American persimmons and American-Asian hybrids, not the firm Japanese kaki you find in Asian grocery stores. These are softer, with a richer, complex flavor.
The key with persimmons is patience. A fully ripe one is soft, honeyed, and extraordinary. Pick too early and you'll know it. We'll guide you to fruit that's ready when you visit, so you can take home something worth the wait.
Coming Soon - hopefully beginning fall 2027
Pawpaw
Pawpaws are North America's largest native fruit and one of its best kept secrets. Tropical in flavor - think mango, banana, and custard - yet cold hardy enough to thrive in the Michigan understory, they are the kind of discovery that makes people wonder why they've never heard of them before.
The reason you've never seen one in a grocery store is simple: they're too soft and perishable to survive commercial shipping. The only way to eat a truly great pawpaw is to pick it yourself or know someone who grows them. U-pick pawpaws are available September through October.
Coming Soon - hopefully beginning fall 2027
Seed and Scion
We propagate from known cultivars of chestnut, persimmon, and pawpaw and kiwiberry, and offer both seed and scionwood for growers and enthusiasts looking to establish their own trees. Seed are available in the fall. Scionwood is available in late winter for spring grafting. Details and availability will be posted here when the season approaches.
Coming Soon - hopefully beginning fall 2027
Specialty Products
Our lavender is harvested fresh and available at the farm stand during peak bloom in late June and July. We'll send out emails when cut lavender is available.
Venue and Tours
Zen Arbor's orchards and woodland edges make a stunning backdrop for portrait sessions, senior photos, and farm visits. We are developing options for photographers, their clients, and guests who want to experience the farm firsthand. Contact us if you are interested.