[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10509-10510]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING WESTVIEW ORCHARDS

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Westview 
Orchards of Romeo, MI on its 200th anniversary.
  Since its founding in 1813, the orchard has been a part of Michigan's 
way of life. It is where families go to pick their own peaches and 
strawberries in the summer, and where they

[[Page 10510]]

go to pick apples, take wagon rides and enjoy the cider mill in the 
fall. It has been a source of fresh food since the War of 1812 was 
being waged from Michigan to New England to New Orleans.
  Michigan was a prime battleground during the War of 1812, and the 
British were winning every major engagement. The Union Jack flew over 
settlements in Michigan from Mackinac Island to Detroit. By the summer 
of 1813, it seemed likely that when the war ended, the Michigan 
Territory would belong to the British Empire.
  That all changed with the Battle of Lake Erie, when American forces 
defeated the British Navy and changed the tide of the war. One of the 
heroes of the battle was Michael Bowerman, who had come from New York 
to fight for his country. In gratitude for his service, the United 
States offered him a plot of land in Michigan.
  And so it was that Michael Bowerman packed up his belongings and set 
out to start a new life for himself and an enduring legacy for his 
family. In his pockets, he carried a few peach pits from his father's 
farm in New York. He found his homestead in present-day Romeo, built a 
cabin and founded the farm that is today known as Westview Orchards.
  It started with a small garden and orchard, with the family 
transporting the fruit by horse and wagon to Port Huron to sell at the 
farmers market. He later expanded the farm to include livestock and 
field crops. When a bear attacked one of his pigs, he came to the 
rescue and fought off the bear, earning him the nickname ``Fearless 
Mike.'' As the years passed, his farm and his family grew, and in 1880, 
his son, Byron, planted 10 acres of peach trees that laid the 
foundation for Romeo's famous peach festival that is held every Labor 
Day Weekend.
  For the last 200 years, the descendants of ``Fearless Mike'' have 
carried on his legacy. His sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, 
great-grandsons, great-granddaughters and more--have worked tirelessly 
to build the wonderful orchard that serves thousands of families in 
Michigan every year.
  One great-grandson in particular made critical innovations on the 
farm. Harvey Bowerman took over the farm from his father, Byron, and 
his brother, George. Harvey modernized the farm and built the 
foundation on which it stands today. He built the white clapboard house 
that the family still calls home. He and his son, Armand, transitioned 
the farm from using workhorses to using tractors. Harvey sold the hog 
and dairy operations, focusing the business on growing fruits and 
vegetables. He also added a grading room and built a custom peach 
grader and de-fuzzer machine to improve efficiency. His greatest 
innovation, though, was forced upon him in August of 1930.
  It was a typical August day in an unusually good harvest year, and 
Harvey was loading his truck full of peaches from his record harvest to 
sell at Detroit's Eastern Market 40 miles to the south. Harvey was not 
the only grower having a record year, though. As he was preparing to 
leave, he received a call from Eastern Market that said, ``Don't come 
down, Harvey. The market is flooded with so many peaches we can't sell 
`em all.''
  As every farmer knows, once you harvest your crops you have to get 
them to the market quickly before they spoil. In desperation, Harvey 
tried something different: knowing that the Detroit Urban Railroad 
trolley had a stop just down the street, he turned his truck around so 
the back was facing the road in front of the farmhouse. His success 
selling the peaches to passengers forever changed the way he and his 
descendants marketed their fruit.
  Harvey passed the farm to his son, Armand, and when Armand suddenly 
passed away in 1981, Westview's fifth and sixth generations took over. 
Today, the family farm is in the hands of Katherine Bowerman Roy, her 
daughters Katrina Roy Schumacher and Abigail Jacobson, and Abigail's 
husband, Bill.
  Westview Orchards is the oldest farm in Macomb County. It is a place 
where families from across the county and beyond visit to pick their 
own fruit, take wagon rides around the farm, and enjoy the corn maze, 
ice cream shop, cider mill and farmers market.
  Westview Orchards is a true Michigan success story, born of hard 
work, dedication and a commitment to innovation. I congratulate the 
entire family--from ``Fearless Mike'' Bowerman to Katherine, Katrina, 
Abigail and Bill--on 200 wonderful years.

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