Eau Claire’s Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm To Close December 31

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It’s the end of an era for agriculture in southwest Michigan, as Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire is closing at the end of this year. The farm made the announcement on Facebook over the weekend, saying the entire 450-acre property is now going on the market. The farm has been in the Teichman family for three generations, but they’ve suffered some big losses this year, starting with the death of Herb Teichman to start 2019, followed by the polar vortex which took a heavy toll on fruit trees throughout the region. This summer, third-generation farm owner Bill Teichman fell ill with Eastern Equine Encephalitis from a mosquito bite, and he’s still recovering from the disease that killed two-thirds of the people afflicted in the state this year. Tree-Mendus Fruit will close for good on December 31. The farm gained notoriety nationwide for hosting the International Cherry Pit Spitting Championships every Fourth of July since 1974.