Heritage Meets Innovation: The Story of Mick Klug Farms
Mick Klug Farms proudly cultivates over 15 varieties of apples, using a blend of traditional and modern farming techniques. Our orchards include older, “heritage” plots as well as innovative, high-density orchards with dwarf trees supported by posts and wire, designed for easier picking and efficient land use. We harvest each apple at the peak of ripeness, ensuring optimal flavor and texture, often picking multiple times to achieve perfection. On average, one tree can yield enough apples to fill 20 boxes, each weighing about 42 pounds.
At Mick Klug Farms, we are dedicated to providing sustainably farmed, hand-harvested fruits and vegetables to local farmers markets, Chicago-area restaurants, breweries, and fresh produce retailers. Our reach extends across Chicago, Northern Indiana, and Southwest Michigan, and we offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program with weekly fresh produce boxes.
Founded in the 1930s on a 40-acre plot, Mick Klug took over the family farm in 1974, expanding it to more than 120 acres. Today, the farm remains a family-run operation, with Mick working alongside his daughter, Abby Schilling, and her husband, Mark, to manage the land and operations. In 2018, Mark’s brother Ben Schilling and his wife, Bae, joined the team, and together, Abby, Mark, Ben, and Bae now co-own and operate both Mick Klug Farms and Schilling Family Farms.
Our farms grow a diverse range of fruits and vegetables and employ about 25 seasonal workers. We are proud to be MAEAP (Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program) environmentally verified for our farming practices, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable agriculture. For more than 25 years, we’ve been a trusted supplier to the Green City Market and have been a fixture at Chicago farmers markets for over 40 years.
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