Did you know that Michigan ranks second in the country for apple production? And with fall essentially underway, there’s no shortage of places to get out there and pick your own.

But if you want to do Michigan apple picking right, you need to visit the right farms. I’m talking about the ones that you can make an entire day with cider, hay rides, donuts, and all the other bells and whistles.

Lucky for us, today, The ’Gander’s Chaunie Brusie brings us 12 must-visit Michigan U-Pick farms to add to your fall bucket list.

Then, we’ll take a look at when we could start seeing snow here in Michigan.

Benson leads in new gubernatorial race poll (ClickOnDetroit): A new WDIV/Detroit News poll finds Jocelyn Benson at 46.8%, and John James at 42.7% among likely Michigan voters asked who they would support if the 2026 governor’s election were held today. Benson also led in name recognition, with 86.2% of voters saying they’ve heard of Benson and 82% saying they’ve heard of James.

Lawsuit alleges decades of sexual hazing of U-M hockey players (Freep): Sixteen former University of Michigan men’s hockey players are suing the university, alleging decades of ritualized sexual abuse and hazing within the program from 1984 to 2001. The lawsuit alleges coaches and administrators knew about or encouraged the abuse, while the university denies responsibility and says hazing violated its policies.

MSP launches new site to help crack cold cases (WILX): The Michigan State Police has launched a new website where the public can review cold cases and submit tips, hoping to solve more of the roughly 200 cases that remain open statewide. Eleven cases are currently posted, with more expected to be added.

Michigan is the second-highest-producing apple state in the country and offers several U-Pick apple orchards to enjoy. (Bruno Guerrero/Unsplash)

By Chaunie Brusie

Fall in Michigan means football, cozy sweatshirts, roaring bonfires, and of course, lots of apples. Michigan is the second-highest-producing apple state in the country, making it your right as a Michigander to get out there and start picking!

Apple picking is a quintessential fall activity, and as someone who has apple trees, my advice is to choose one of the many U-Pick farms in Michigan with extra activities to enjoy.

Exploring the orchard is fun, but it’s even better if you can add on more to your experience, such as wine or beer tasting, donuts, cider mills, a corn maze, or shopping. Oh, and wear closed-toed shoes: The combination of still-lingering warm temperatures and fruit that has fallen off the tree can bring out a lot of stinging insects!

To kick off the ‘ber seasons (arguably, some of the best!) in our state, add these Michigan U-Pick farms to your fall bucket list.

First frost predictions for the US. (Farmer’s Almanac/USA Today Network)

It won’t be long until Michigan residents endure chilly mornings; in fact, forecasters say the Great Lakes region may see its first frost as early as mid-September—and snow by November.

The Farmers’ Almanac released two forecast maps for the typical first snowfall and frost timeline for the US on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The first frost map shows Michigan’s southern Lower Peninsula seeing frost as soon as early October. The prediction considers potential frost as the first time temperatures drop to 32 degrees. The rest of the Lower Peninsula and the entire Upper Peninsula are forecast for their first frost earlier, as soon as mid-September.

The first snowfall map suggests residents have more time to prepare for the change in season.

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Chaunie Brusie and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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