Goats and chickens and elderberries, oh my
By Ross Boissoneau
Sun contributor
It’s part farm, part café, part farm market, part AirBnB—and all a dream come true for Samantha Fall.
Fall, the owner of Elderberry Farms Estate, has a varied background. She headed up the marketing department at the Mary A. Rackham Institute at the University of Michigan for a number of years. She also continues to run her wedding photography and videography business, Timeless Media Productions, now in its 15th year.
But she is also a long-time agriculture enthusiast. She worked at Michigan State’s campus farms while earning her degree in communication. After graduating, she started her own mini-farm outside East Lansing, complete with dairy goats, chickens, produce, soap- and lotion-making.
She was also a long-standing fan of elderberries. They’ve long been touted in folk medicine to treat colds, flu and other conditions (though according to Web MD there is no scientific evidence to support most of these uses, with the possible exception of the flu). There is also disagreement as to how to best utilize elderberries without incurring distress from their potentially cyanogenic compounds. Heating the berries, as is generally done, eliminates any such concerns.
While happy enough living downstate, Fall always planned to enjoy her golden years up north. “I wanted to retire here someday. The people are friendly, it’s beautiful,” she says. But the more she thought about it, the more she thought why wait? So, she left her job at U of M and moved her video/photography business to Traverse City.
She immediately began looking for a place to also pursue her passions for farming and for elderberries, eventually finding a parcel of open land on M-72. “I wanted to restore farmland instead of clear-cutting. The lot was an abandoned farming parcel I had been eyeing since 2019,” Fall says. She closed on it in February 2020 and got to work.
After wading through the construction of the building facing the road which became the café, farm market and farmstay apartment in the midst of the pandemic, Elderberry Farms Estate officially opened this spring. She’d envisioned including a café with baked goods and deli to-go and retail items, but admits she was surprised when she tried offering brunch items made to order. “The brunches were actually a fun little experiment I let our chef try out after hiring him for a private dinner,” Fall says.
Despite their success, the brunches are currently on hiatus. That’s because Fall says juggling her various roles – general contractor for her home and barn further back on the property, running her wedding business, and being a single mom – meant that in the busy farming and packing season something had to give.
But the brunches will be back, as will other made to order full-service meals. “When we do implement serviced meals again, we plan to bring in rotational featured chefs from various areas for our ticketed dinners,” Fall notes. Currently the café menu includes specialty coffee drinks deli sandwiches, muffins, pastries, and—wait for it—elderberry crepes.
Ah yes, the magic of elderberries. “I’ve been a fan and advocate of elderberries since 2006/2007 when I first tried elderberry syrup for a flu I was coming down with,” says Fall. She was pleased and amazed at how quickly the elderberry syrup accelerated her recovery.
“Natural remedies and holistic medicine have been a passion of mine since I was a child, and I continued my education on herbalism into adulthood. I find most of our customers are of two schools of thought: 1) They’re curious about elderberries, with their recent revival in the retail sector, or 2) They have fond memories of elderberry pies, jams, and wine with their grandparents and seek to reminisce while enjoying our products.”
Despite the name, the farm offers more than just elderberries. “Right now we have lavender and blueberries,” says Fall, along with honey, produce, herbs and all the items on the café menu. She promises more to come as the farm matures.
Elderberry Farms Estates, which she touts as Michigan’s first commercial elderberry farm, also offer an experiential aspect for those so inclined. “The township (Long Lake Township) requires us to offer a farmstay experience to be exempt from a vacation rental permit.” The apartment above the café has a kitchen and one bedroom, and sleeps four.
“Guests who stay at the rental have the option of participating in farm chores, tours, or unique experiences,” says Fall. She says the potential there will grow as the farm does. “Once we have the pole barn built and my livestock on site, we’ll have more fun activities for guests, including helping milk goats and gathering eggs.”
