Dandelions
Some of my oldest memories are filled with dandelions: my bare feet delighting in the warm grass between my toes; my arms full of blooms. I would rub the bright yellow petals over my arms and face, le...
Come On Over
Along with long-awaited sunshine, Michiana summers bring abundant opportunities for exploration. Check out these area businesses that welcome visitors for behind-the-scenes tours.
Shuler Dairy Farms
Beginning in 2015, Bill Shuler and his sons Billy and Wyatt transformed their fifth-generation dairy farm in Baroda, Michigan, into a sophisticated operation also designed as an agritourism destination, welcoming up to 10,000 visitors a year. The dairy farm operation consists of three barns, including an innovative milking barn where cows have continuous access to food, water and a clean environment plus on-demand robotic milking machines that cows enter when they wish to be milked (and get a treat).
From the barn’s observation deck, the elder Bill Shuler tells visitors about the farm’s history as well as about how dairy cattle are raised and how they produce milk. Bill also explains the farm’s technology, which includes an advanced ventilation system, electronic monitoring of each cow’s health and the robotics that enable the dairy farm to operate without the grueling milking schedule of a traditional farm. Visitors view the milking machines in action through a window and tour additional areas of the milking barn, including the feed aisle, maternity pens and milk storage tank.
Tours are offered Tuesday through Sunday year-round, beginning every hour from noon to 5 p.m. Groups of 30 or more are encouraged to schedule in advance, and it is a good idea to call ahead during colder months. Tours do not take place during the Berrien County Youth Fair. Admission is $5 per person age 4 and above.
Shuler Dairy Farms
10823 Date Rd., Baroda, MI
269.326.0366 | shulerdairyfarms.com
River Saint Joe
With a brewery, taproom, event space and seating indoors and out, complete with firepits and space for recreation and games—all within its own farm—River Saint Joe near Buchanan, Michigan, is an experience whenever you visit.
One Sunday each month from May through October, those who want to get a closer look at the farm operation can book a tour. Visitors walk the grounds of the brewery and farm, learning about the farm’s “plant-to-pint” production process, its sustainability practices and the history of the 180-acre organic Flatwater Farm, which grows hops used in River Saint Joe beer and seasonal vegetables. The tour also includes a tasting of three 5-ounce beers.
The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes (although we hear you might need some extra time if you book on a day that farmer Marc Luff leads the tour). You’ll be visiting a working farm, so be sure to wear farm shoes. The Sunday morning tours cost $20 per person and can be booked on the website. Call to inquire about private tours.
River Saint Joe
15475 Walton Rd., Buchanan, MI
269.409.8015 | riversaintjoe.com
South Bend Chocolate Factory
This summer would be a great time to tour the South Bend Chocolate Company’s 60,000-foot factory and outlet store on the city’s west side, before the company moves its production facility to the new complex under construction (which will include a factory, store, restaurant, expanded chocolate museum and dinosaur museum) near the intersection of US 20 and the US 31 bypass.
Tours begin with an introduction to the source of chocolate and how it is made, before moving to the factory floor. Once inside the production area, visitors may get to see the creation of some of the company’s 500 varieties of confections. While the factory is well-equipped, production is not highly automated. Everything is crafted and packed by hand.
The tour concludes at the outlet store, where visitors can prepare their own chocolate-dipped spoon before browsing the Chocolate Museum, which houses chocolate-related memorabilia from all over the world, including hundreds of examples of packaging, tins and boxes. The outlet store includes a large selection of “almost perfect” treats offered at reduced prices—and a café that serves soups, salads, sandwiches and breakfast items.
The 45-minute tours begin on the hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Tours cost $5 for age 12 and up, $2 for children 2 to 11. Closed-toed shoes are required. Walk-ins are welcome and you can also call to schedule a tour.
South Bend Chocolate Factory and Outlet Store
3300 W. Sample St., South Bend, IN
800.301.4961 | sbchocolate.com
St. Julian Winery & Distillery
In its fourth generation of family ownership, Michigan’s largest and oldest winery, St. Julian Winery & Distillery, offers tours of its production facility at the company’s headquarters in Paw Paw, Michigan. Tours of up to 12 people are led by staff members who share their knowledge about the wine- and spirit-making processes as well as the St. Julian story, which spans 100 years and three cities.
During the tour, participants sample wine drawn directly from a barrel, which offers a taste while the wine’s flavor is still developing. The tour winds up with an additional tasting paired with charcuterie from The Grazing Table, based in downtown Kalamazoo. Allow an hour and a half to two hours for the tour and tasting.
Tours are scheduled on most Fridays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.; events can impact the schedule, so be sure to check ahead and book online. The cost of the tour, including the charcuterie-enhanced tasting, is $35 per person ($30 for St. Julian Wine Club members).
St. Julian Winery
716 S. Kalamazoo St., Paw Paw, MI
800.732.6002 | stjulian.com
Bell’s Brewery
Take a drive to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the country’s top-ranked craft beer brewers, which has been brewing favorites like Oberon and Two-Hearted since 1985. Bell’s retains its Michigan locations and Bell’s identity, even though it recently sold to global brewer Lion and aligned with Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing, acquired by Lion in 2019.
You can book a free 45-minute Sunday afternoon tour of the original brewery in downtown Kalamazoo—and also enjoy a meal at the Eccentric Café, Michigan’s first onsite brewpub. The Kalamazoo location creates fan favorites plus experimental and small-batch brews that are served at the café.
Tours begin at the café with beer samples and a brief history of the company, which dates to founder Larry Bell’s days at Kalamazoo College, when he began homebrewing in a 15-gallon soup pot. Visitors then move to the production area and learn how beer is created before the tour winds up at the General Store, where tour-goers can taste a final sample and browse company-themed gear, home brewing supplies and, of course, beer.
Check the schedule and reserve your spot for either tour at the company’s website.
Bell’s Brewery
355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Kalamazoo, MI
269.382.2332 | Bellsbeer.com
Geri Pawelski has called Michiana home since 1988, and after a career spent in offices, spends her time volunteering in the community, taming her yard, spoiling her cats and exploring the delights of our region.
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Makes about 3 dozen
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