About Schwallier's Country Basket
Schwallier's Country Basket grew from a roadside produce stand into a farm market in 1989, on the apple-growing Ridge at M-37 and 9 Mile Road north of Grand Rapids. Phil Schwallier is a fourth-generation fruit grower who spent about 40 years as an MSU Extension horticulture agent, and Judy grew up on a dairy farm. Their four children help run the farm, one son-in-law keeps the bees, and another, a chef, gives cooking demos on select weekends.
The 2026 season ran August 17 through October 31: weekdays only until Labor Day, then daily from September 8, weekdays 7 to 6 and weekends 9 to 6. U-pick apples include Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Jonathan, Cortland, Ambrosia and SnapDragon as they ripen, and there are pumpkins to pick in fall. U-pick can end before late October if the trees are picked out.
The children's play area, farm animal barn, straw mountain and weekend tractor-wagon ride are free. On September and October weekends the Corn Maze + Back 40 costs $16 and includes the Happy Apple maze, bounce pads and a mega slide; apple cannons are $5 a bucket and the cow train is $4 a seat. The New Old Barn café serves wood-fired pizza, brisket, burgers and cider slushies on weekends, and the market sells donuts, pies, cider and the farm's own honey.
Great Lakes Lavender Farm near Rockford is about 25 minutes east; it isn't open for farm visits, but its lavender is sold online.
What to do
- Pick apples from late summer through October
- Pick a pumpkin in fall
- Walk the Happy Apple corn maze and Back 40 on fall weekends
- Meet baby goats in the farm animal barn
- Eat wood-fired pizza at the New Old Barn café on weekends
- Buy cider, donuts and the farm's honey
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- 2026 season August 17 to October 31; weekends open from September 8
- Hours
- 2026: Aug 17–Sept 6 Mon–Fri 7–5 (closed weekends); Sept 8–Oct 31 Mon–Fri 7–6, Sat–Sun 9–6
- Admission
- Free entry, play area and animal barn. 2026: Corn Maze + Back 40 $16 (weekends Sept–Oct), cow train $4 per seat, apple cannons $5 per bucket
Tips for your visit
- The Back 40 sells its last tickets an hour before closing.
- The barn isn't heated, but it gives shelter on cold days.
- U-pick can end before October 31 if the crop runs out, so call ahead late in the season.
Pair it with a lavender farm
Great Lakes Lavender Farm · about 25 minutes away
Great Lakes Lavender Farm near Rockford is about 25 minutes east; it isn't open for visits, but its lavender is sold online.
Getting there
Questions
Is there an admission fee at Schwallier's?
No. The play area and animal barn are free; the corn maze and Back 40 are $16 on weekends.
When is Schwallier's open?
In 2026, August 17 to October 31; weekends only from September 8.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Rockford, Lowell & Grand Rapids, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
