Petoskey’s Bear Creek Organic Farm: Great food, family fun, and sustainable agriculture

In the warmer months, Petoskey’s Bear Creek Organic Farm is a bustling green haven. The year-round market and its array of fresh produce, homemade grab-and-go dishes, delectable baked goods, and groceries beckon you to fill your cart with nature’s bounty. Their annual plant sale, featuring flower, vegetable, and fruit starts, is always packed. Patrons love the farm’s food truck, and kids have a blast on the playground equipment or searching for Bear Creek’s beloved feline mascots, Frick and Frack.

Brian Bates, Bear Creek’s farm manager, and Anne Morningstar, its designer and brand manager, bought 75 acres a few miles outside of downtown Petoskey in December 2012 and began the arduous journey of transforming it into a prosperous farm.

“We’d never even seen it without snow cover. The only access point was off a seasonal road, and we got the truck stuck twice trying to access the land to get a sense of where to put the driveway,” Anne laughed as she reminisced about the farm’s beginnings.

They started with a pole barn that also served as their house for several years. Potted herbs, microgreens, and honey made up some of their earliest offerings. Now, with several hoop houses and greenhouses and a dedicated staff, Bear Creek is able to offer a stunning variety of produce and prepared foods.

Rooted in environmental values

The couple started with a vision of sustainability before they even found their dream property in Petoskey. At Penn State University, Brian took classes in sustainable agriculture, soil science, and landscape architecture. A NCMC art professor, Anne uses her considerable skills in creative management to communicate their commitments to local, organic agriculture.

Bear Creek became Petoskey’s first certified organic farm in 2013. Now, they’re Michigan’s only B Corp Certified farm, meeting a rigorous global standard of “social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency” after a month-long audit. Bear Creek is also Petoskey’s first Real Organic Project-certified farm. Anne and Brian have used solar panels to produce some of the farm’s power for years. They reuse loads of black plastic trays and pots or take them back to East Jordan Plastics, where they’re produced, for recycling. Environmental health is at the forefront of their business decisions.

 

From tender spring greens to mind-blowing garlic

Bear Creek’s offerings vary throughout the season. Spring brings tender greens, while tomatoes rule the summer. In fall, expect heaps of fragrant apples and a plethora of winter squash. They carry plenty of produce from outside the farm, like asparagus, bananas, citrus fruits, ginger, avocados, and mushrooms, so you can skip the grocery store and head straight to the farm.

Here’s a glimpse at what may be in season during your visit. Sign up for detailed email updates on the website’s home page so you’ll always know what’s fresh.

May: The annual plant sale begins, with hundreds of annuals and perennials for landscaping or eating! Also expect fresh greens like kale and spring mix, radishes, potted and fresh-cut herbs, potatoes, and garlic, along with produce sourced from outside the Petoskey area.

June: In addition to greens, think fresh basil, snap peas, and sometimes strawberries and the first blush of cherry tomatoes.

July: Bring on the tomatoes. Bear Creek grows an abundance of richly-flavored heirloom varieties. You’ll also find summer squash, green beans, cucumbers, chard, lavender, and a plethora of outsourced beauties like blueberries, cherries, and carrots.

August: The heat of the summer months brings forth melons, onions, tons of fresh-cut basil, peppers, dill, and loads of locally sourced corn, broccoli, and cauliflower. Plus greens like kale and spring mix are still going strong.

September: Organic Michigan apples begin showing up in September. So do locally-sourced pears, cabbages, parsnips, and leeks. Fresh-from-the-farm offerings include winter squash, new potatoes, eggplants, spinach, and fall salad mix. Other winners from earlier in the season – peppers, tomatoes, microgreens, and lettuces, among others – are still going strong.

October: Welcome to the winter squash emporium and the potato palace! These fall crops overflow in the market, along with many others listed in earlier entries.

November: Behold the holiday feast! Bear Creek still has plenty of winter squash, along with potatoes, garlic, brussels sprouts, kale, chard, the last of the heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and all the root veggies you need to make your family dinners come true. Plus, some of the summer bounty gets frozen every year for you to enjoy late.

The market is open year-round, and during winter, there are piles of potatoes, squash, and other storage crops to get you through the colder months.

What about prepared foods? Anne has personally developed loads of recipes that stock Bear Creek’s larder. Depending on the season, there’s an overwhelming abundance to choose from: soups, pies, pasties, pesto, fresh salads and side dishes, cookies, hand pies, donuts, decadent packaged snacks, and grocery items.

“There are some universal favorites in the market, like tomatoes, spring mix, and microgreens. But our Black Garlic Salt and Black Garlic Everything Sauce are products that will blow your mind if you’ve never had them before,” Anne said.

Honestly? There’s too much good food to mention, so you’ll just have to stop by the market.

The Food Truck has been an enormous hit, and offers folks a chance to relax and enjoy the green landscape and games. Anne reported that the pesto grilled cheese and burger are consistently popular. I wouldn’t skip the sides if I were you—those onion rings and fries are home-grown and processed directly on the farm. So are many seasonal ingredients from their other dishes, all of which you can order online.

The farmers have added seasonal open house celebrations, complete with a bounce house and other family-friendly attractions. Anne mentioned the open houses and annual holiday celebrations are often paired with food truck specials featuring her one-of-a-kind recipes. Check their website and social media for upcoming dates.

Feeding the soil and you

Their annual plant sale starts in May with three greenhouses full of luscious green plants ready for their future homes. They carry dozens of tomato varieties, and fans of mild and ultra-hot peppers will be sure to find something to please their palates. Beans, peas, greens, cukes, zukes, onions, brassicas, and other veggies fill table after table. Savory aromas abound in the herb greenhouse. Decorative, medicinal, and edible flowers take up an entire greenhouse for those lovers of zinnias, poppies, cosmos, nasturtiums, and the like.

Planning a garden often requires soil amendments. Folks can purchase bags, buckets, and tractor scoops of Dairy Doo; a “special sauce” for care and feeding of your plant babies; and mulch, topsoil, peat moss, and seed starter at the farm.

Keep an eye on their website, Instagram, or Facebook for educational opportunities. In the past, these have included beekeeping and tree grafting.

Anne mentioned that she and Brian are always challenging themselves to learn more and grow as members of their Petoskey community. That’s obvious in the way they’ve transformed their farm into a lively space for folks to experience their dedication to a healthy environment and community.

 

About the Author: Jen DeMoss is a newcomer to the Petoskey area and loves northern Michigan. You can catch her paddling a canoe, hiking a trail, or swimming in Lake Michigan as often as the weather cooperates. She’d love to help you make the most of your time in this paradise she now calls home.