How One Saline Family Keeps the Tradition of Fresh Produce Alive

Photo: Jon, Brentley Weisenreder and cousin Brock Andryc at Corn Stand by Saline Fairgrounds – photo by Sue Kelch

Update: The Sun Times News was saddened to hear Ron Weisenreder passed away this last weekend (August 25, 2024). Along with all those who knew Ron, we send our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the Weisenreder family.

Every summer, Saline residents eagerly await the arrival of sweet corn from Weisenreder Farms, a local staple with roots stretching back to the 1850s. This cherished tradition is kept alive by Ron and Bonnie Weisenreder, who have transformed their farm into a community treasure, offering not just corn but a wide array of fresh produce that embodies the heart and soul of local farming.

Just this last week, my family went to the Saline American Legion for one of their public dinners. The menu featured New York strip steak with summer salad, roll, baked potato, and, yes, sweet corn. Oh, and a cupcake, too.

But this wasn’t just any sweet corn – this sweet corn was from the Weisenreder Farms.  Meet Ron and Bonnie Weisenreder, of the Weisenreder Farms and corn stands.  The Weisenreder family has strong ties with Saline, as Ron’s father, Richard, served as Fire Chief for Saline, and Ron and Bonnie are members of the Saline American Legion. 

I asked Ron about the family farm’s history and how long it has been in the family;  “The farmhouse dates back to the 1850s, and I recall my grandparents redid it back in the 1950s.  We even have photos back to the 1850s.  It was originally called the Meijer farm.  Both of my grandparents came from Germany, and my grandmother’s father – a Meijer – originally bought the farm.”

While the farm has been around for a long time, the corn stands began about 20 years ago.  Ron recalls, “Paul Barnes, who passed a few years ago, got me doing the ‘corn thing.’ He had vegetables on Weber Road.  It started when he came to us and wanted to know if he could rent some property, and next thing you know I was growing sweet corn for him.  At first I was helping him a little bit, but not a lot.  Then, he wanted us to grow it for him, and he set up the irrigation system.  My wife, Bonnie, started running the wagons, and that’s when it all started.”

You will find the Weisenreder corn stands in Saline on the corner of N. Ann Arbor Saline Road-Bennett and at the Saline Farm Council Grounds.  And if you visit one of those stands, you may also see Ron’s son, Jon along with his son Brentley and cousin Brock Andryc.

However, in addition to corn, they market a wide variety of other fruits and vegetables, including peaches, green beans, cantaloupe, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, watermelons, potatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and apples. This fall, they will also have decorative sunflower bouquets and mini pumpkins.

Explaining where they get the wide variety of fruits and vegetables, Ron says, “Bonnie takes care of the other produce that we can get.  We have farmers that we go to, and stay as local we can.  We start with Ohio and Kentucky tomatoes until they get to Michigan and my dad Richard picks up other vegetables, south of Petersburg.”

The Weidenreser sweet corn travels as well, and Ron has boxed and shipped to Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.  A few years ago, someone purchased sweet corn, and they brought it back all the way to Alaska.  Ron adds, “We had one lady that always helped Paul do cucumbers and stuff. Her name is Diane.  She is a retired schoolteacher from Ann Arbor and sells our corn in Ann Arbor.  Diane helps every morning and picks up corn for her stand.” 

And if you have a sweet tooth, their stand even features cookies from the Three Red Barn Confections.  The name comes from the farm on Macon Road that Henry Ford once owned, with – you guessed it – three red barns.  Chris Geddes makes the cookies from Select Flooring, which shares the parking lot with the corn stand.   But Ron quickly tells me that the three red barns are a whole other story, so we circle back to the corn stand.

Ron then explains the process of getting the corn to the stands: “We pick as early as 6:00 a.m., and we get the picker machine out. We typically have a couple of helpers who then do the sorting. Then we get the corn out to the stand and open at 10:00 a.m., and we usually run until 7:00 p.m.” 

And when in July does sweet corn usually come out?  “Although this year the corn stand officially opened on July 4,” Ron points out, “the stand typically opens mid-July and continues through mid-September.  The growing season was early this year with the rain and the hot weather.  There’s been a couple of bad years, there were droughts back in 1988 and in 2012.  But sweet corn, if I can water it, will survive.”

When asked about his philosophy of farming, without hesitation, Ron responded, “It’s all about growing the crop.  You watch it go through all the stages, from seed to fruit.  You water it and you have the rain and what all it takes to grow.  While there are challenges, it’s impressive to watch something grow.  It makes you feel good and never gets old.” 

I love July.  And I love eating sweet corn.  I’m reminded of the quote “If you ate today, thank a farmer.”   So we thank Ron and Bonnie and the Weisenreders; and all of the farmers who work hard to bring all that fresh produce – like sweet corn –  to our tables.