For Michigan Pie Bakers, Sourcing Local Ingredients Is the Cherry On Top

In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

Michigan is a superior fruit-growing state, yielding apples, blueberries, cherries and other varieties. The region’s geography makes it easy as pie to have a successful harvest, and Michigan pie makers are taking advantage of the bounty.

“The lake-effect climate, fertile soil and moderate winters are favorable for fruit production,” says Mike Busley, co-founder of Grand Traverse Pie Company.

With a passion for pie and hunger for entrepreneurship, Busley and his wife, Denise, opened their first shop in 1996. GT Pie now has 11 stores and a wholesale division.

“Good soil makes good pies,” says Wendy Achatz, Achatz Handmade Pie Company owner.

Like Busley, Achatz prefers fruit baked in a crust, though she’ll graze off the vine in her family’s orchard. Achatz and her husband, Dave, started baking at home more than 30 years ago. Headquartered in Chesterfield, Achatz Pie now has eight locations plus a substantial retail operation.

See more: Commitment to Michigan Fruit Remains at the Heart of Century-Old St. Julian Winery & Distillery

Equal Parts Humble Pie

The key ingredient, according to these bakehouses, is Michigan-made goods, with farmers contributing the biggest piece of the pie.

That’s why Achatz Pie launched Pie Collective, a celebratory cooperative of partners, including Bush’s Apples, Eight Plate Farms, Johnson Farms and Orchard View Farms, among others.

“We have 110 employees, but our recipe for success involves thousands of people,” Achatz says. “Pie Collective highlights the Michigan farmers and suppliers at our core.”

Michigan Four-Berry, Achatz Pie’s signature flavor, combines blackberries, blueberries, cherries and raspberries ripened on fields near Lake Michigan.

“Our cream pies are made with butter, eggs and milk from Amish dairy farms in northern Michigan,” Achatz adds.

Roughly 80% of Achatz Pie ingredients are Michigan-made with only a portion, like cane sugar and Key limes, being imported from Florida. But Achatz says there’s ample room for additional Michigan growers to introduce non-GMO (genetically modified organism) sugar beets, organic strawberries and organic Einkorn wheat.

Based in Traverse City, GT Pie collaborates with Amos Orchards, King Milling Co., Pioneer Sugar, Sayler Farms, True Blue Farms and others.

Busley’s sweetest praise goes to Smeltzer Orchard Co., which supplies Montmorency sour cherries for GT Pie’s Cherry Crumb and Northern Spy apples for the bestselling Apple Crumb.

Nearly all business needs are locally met, too, like boxes from AJM Packaging Corporation, refrigeration by Glastender and distribution with Gordon Food Service and Lipari Foods.

Pie making isn’t a lost art.

“We don’t use vats of pre-cooked fillings, and each of our shops makes their pies on-site daily,” Busley says. “At our commissary, we make dough in small batches and assemble pies by hand. Pies bake slowly for flavor development and crust texturizing.”

Achatz Pie echoes the labor of love.

“We never use preservatives in our pies so that handmade, old-fashioned essence is ever-present,” Achatz says.

See more: Michigan-Made Tea Pours Local Ingredients Into Every Cup

Community Is the Secret Ingredient in Michigan Pie

On her YouTube Channel, Achatz chronicles her business insights.

“I enjoy helping startup companies and up-and-coming entrepreneurs by sharing lessons learned from three decades of pie-making,” she says. “I encourage open-book management to champion corporate transparency, including financials.”

No matter how you slice it, GT Pie is also rooted in the community.

“The company exists to strengthen the lives of those we serve,” Busley says. “GT Pie emphasizes helping youth impacted by hunger, foster care, and physical or sexual abuse.”

For example, in 2023, GT Pie and its partners contributed more than 60,000 meals during summertime to help kids combat food insecurity.

Both bakehouses offer sweet and savory selections with convenient nationwide shipping options. Achatz Pie is stocked at Westborn Market, Whole Foods Market and other gourmet grocers. GT Pie is available at Meijer, Kroger, SpartanNash and various supermarkets throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.