How Hanulcik Farm went from local to hyperlocal

Hanulcik Farm Market & Orchard is a third-generation farm, market and orchard in Ionia, Michigan, that’s known for supplying locally grown produce since 1936.

The season opens each June with strawberries. The farm also offers a variety of vegetables in its market — including leafy greens, hard squash and sweet corn — along with peaches, apples, blackberries and raspberries.

“We are a hyperlocal farm market,” said Alex Hanulcik, one of the owners of the family-run company. “Almost all of the produce and products we carry are grown or made right here on our farm or sourced from other partner farms and small businesses in Ionia and the surrounding area. The vast majority are from within 30 minutes of the market.”

Hanulcik added that the push to stay local comes from rising consumer demand for fresh, healthy food.

Making a change

The farm was started by Alex’s grandfather, and then his father grew it into a commercial operation, mainly producing strawberries, apples and peaches.

“The big kahuna was apples, but in 2015 I changed direction,” Hanulcik said. “I decided to stop pursuing commercial growing and go more direct to retail. We always sold strawberries and peaches directly to consumers, but now those are our big players, and apples are third.”

The reason for the change, Hanulcik said, came down to basic economics. Labor was a huge problem, and other expenses made commercial growing less sustainable. He felt the decision was the right move for the farm’s future.

“I’m already at that age where I don’t have someone in the family who wants to take over, so it just made sense from a business standpoint,” he said. “Direct-to- consumer was always part of our business model, and we just expanded upon it and learned how to do it better.”

U-pick remains central to the operation, and the farm offers it for all of its crops.

“I like to position our farm as a destination farm,” Hanulcik said. “There’s a lot of stress in life, and my objective is to have a place where people can come to get away, do u-pick, enjoy live entertainment and relax. Some u-pick operations out there are frantic and stressful — it’s just not relaxing. Our objective is to be more of a relaxing destination.”

The year ahead

The farm’s strawberry season, which starts in June, consists of Galletta, Yambu, Jewel and Malwina varieties.

“Strawberries are our busy season, and I equate it to NASCAR — the Daytona 500 is the first and biggest race of the year, and strawberries are similar to that.” Hanulcik said. “For five weeks, it’s really busy, and then it slows down but stays steady. We might see 400 to 500 people a day during strawberry season.”

The farm currently grows seven acres of strawberries on a three-year rotation.

Roadside market

In 2000, Hanulcik and his wife bought a nearby farm and opened the Hanulcik roadside market on a state road that sees about 10,000 cars daily. In 2021, they replaced the small stand with a larger market to better utilize the location.

The Hanulcik farm market store is packed with local produce. It also carries a variety of specialty items, including Amish Country Dairy cream- top milk and roll butter, Farm Country Cheese curds and blocks, Gingham Sisters goat milk soaps, Lumber Mill Inn bread and pies, Jones Farm meat, local honey and maple syrup, Scherger’s Kettle jams and salsas, and more. Most products come from partner farms and businesses in mid-and west-Michigan, with a few from Shipshewana, Indiana.

Craft beer, wine and hard cider are newer offerings. This year, the farm will carry locally produced wines made with Michigan fruit, including a strawberry-rhubarb wine featuring Hanulcik strawberries.

“We’re also adding fresh juices and expanding our dry goods with apparel, accessories, kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, pet items and unique general store products. It’s a mix of all things,” Hanulcik said. “We’re aiming for a younger generation and hoping those offerings play into consumer demand.”

Following the path

Hanulcik takes pride in carrying on the family tradition and genuinely enjoys the business — even though there was a time he never expected to return to the family farm.

“I enjoy the growing portion of it and seeing things coming to fruition,” he said. “I really like working outside. But my degree is in finance, and I worked in Manhattan. It sounded great when I was young, but I really didn’t like it. That’s when my mom and dad asked if I wanted to try this, and that’s how I got into it. I never imagined myself coming back to the farm, but I enjoy it so much.”

A graduate of the University of Miami, Keith Loria is an award-winning journalist who has been writing for almost 20 years. View his recent writing at keithloria.contently.com.