About Us
Country Mill's Mission: To glorify God by facilitating "family fun on the farm" and feeding families.
Community Impact:
We desire to offer an affordable place for families to come and create special memories having fun together. As stewards of God’s gifts, we desire to share our harvest with those who are in need in our community through an annual event called Pick a Peck for People. In cooperation with area food banks, we donate all the apples picked during this four hour event to help feed families in our surrounding communities. During this unique event, groups, individuals, and families are all invited to pick bags of apples. They are donated to local area food banks including, the Believer's Christian Church Food Bank in Grand Ledge and area St. Vincent DePaul Food Banks who will have trucks on hand to haul away all the apples that you pick. We donate the apples and you donate your time. After picking each person will be given a complimentary entrance to our corn maze or hayride. Click here: pick_a_peck_for_people_article.pdf to find out how this event impacts our communities' local food banks. Because of amazing volunteers like you this four hour annual event usually donates between 4,000 to 10,000 pounds of apples every year depending on the weather. Thank you!
"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the LORD, am your God." -Leviticus 23:22
We desire to offer an affordable place for families to come and create special memories having fun together. As stewards of God’s gifts, we desire to share our harvest with those who are in need in our community through an annual event called Pick a Peck for People. In cooperation with area food banks, we donate all the apples picked during this four hour event to help feed families in our surrounding communities. During this unique event, groups, individuals, and families are all invited to pick bags of apples. They are donated to local area food banks including, the Believer's Christian Church Food Bank in Grand Ledge and area St. Vincent DePaul Food Banks who will have trucks on hand to haul away all the apples that you pick. We donate the apples and you donate your time. After picking each person will be given a complimentary entrance to our corn maze or hayride. Click here: pick_a_peck_for_people_article.pdf to find out how this event impacts our communities' local food banks. Because of amazing volunteers like you this four hour annual event usually donates between 4,000 to 10,000 pounds of apples every year depending on the weather. Thank you!
"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. I, the LORD, am your God." -Leviticus 23:22
Charitable Donations:
Request for charitable donations will be reviewed and approved August through September 15th for pickup during our season of August through Thanksgiving. This allows us to fairly distribute donations among all groups. Donations are of the products and/or activities that we offer here on the farm. Please submit all requests on our donation request form below either in person during business hours or via regular mail. Thank you.
Request for charitable donations will be reviewed and approved August through September 15th for pickup during our season of August through Thanksgiving. This allows us to fairly distribute donations among all groups. Donations are of the products and/or activities that we offer here on the farm. Please submit all requests on our donation request form below either in person during business hours or via regular mail. Thank you.
Homegrown By Heroes Label:
As a married couple who are both veterans, we are honored to be members of the Farmer Veteran Coalition www.farmvetco.org/ that works to assist veterans in giving them the opportunity to enter into the profession of farming after their military service. Look for the new Homegrown by Heroes label shown below. -Steve & Bridget Tennes
As a married couple who are both veterans, we are honored to be members of the Farmer Veteran Coalition www.farmvetco.org/ that works to assist veterans in giving them the opportunity to enter into the profession of farming after their military service. Look for the new Homegrown by Heroes label shown below. -Steve & Bridget Tennes
Country Mill's History:
The Country Mill was established prior to the Civil War. The red brick house just south of the farm market was built around the years 1867-1871. Over a century later, in 1970, Bernie Tennes was reading the newspaper at his home in East Lansing. In it, he saw an ad for an 80 acre farm in Charlotte. Having grown up on a farm himself, he was naturally interested. He drove out to see the farm and decided to make an offer. He, and his wife, Ann Tennes bought the farm and moved their family to the orchard. The previous owner, Clifford McIntire, taught the couple about operating the farm, growing apples, pressing cider and making donuts. In 2003, Bernie and Ann's youngest son, Steve , and his wife Bridget moved back to Michigan to take over operation of the family farm. They currently live in red brick house on the farm with their family. Over the years, the farm has grown along with the Tennes family to 213 acres which supports the lives of multiple family members and neighbors.
The Country Mill was established prior to the Civil War. The red brick house just south of the farm market was built around the years 1867-1871. Over a century later, in 1970, Bernie Tennes was reading the newspaper at his home in East Lansing. In it, he saw an ad for an 80 acre farm in Charlotte. Having grown up on a farm himself, he was naturally interested. He drove out to see the farm and decided to make an offer. He, and his wife, Ann Tennes bought the farm and moved their family to the orchard. The previous owner, Clifford McIntire, taught the couple about operating the farm, growing apples, pressing cider and making donuts. In 2003, Bernie and Ann's youngest son, Steve , and his wife Bridget moved back to Michigan to take over operation of the family farm. They currently live in red brick house on the farm with their family. Over the years, the farm has grown along with the Tennes family to 213 acres which supports the lives of multiple family members and neighbors.