This Marion Township blueberry farm has deep community roots

MARION TWP. — The blueberry plants growing on a third-generation u-pick farm in Marion Township have deep roots.

Tony Hazen's grandparents — Arthur "Art" and Edna Hazen — and his uncle, Dennis Hazen, planted the blueberries at 1144 Peavy Road in the 1970s.

Before that, his family had an established farm in Commerce. It was Arthur's retirement plan, after a career as a chief aircraft inspector.

"Blueberries have always been primary," Tony said.

He said his elders learned blueberries were "hardy" and grew well in the sandy loam soil in Marion Township.

Now semi-retired himself, Tony spends his time running the farm. He grew up learning the craft on his family's 1800s farm in Estelline, South Dakota.

Hazen's Blueberry Farm features a bakery, Sweet Maria's, which sells baked goods made with blueberries grown on the farm. Products include cookies, bread, pie, muffins, ice cream and popsicles.

In years past, u-pick season might already be over — but Tony said it's been a good year for the berries. The u-pick, he said, should be open for at least another week, running 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays.

The bakery will close for the season, but the farm also sells products online. In the fall, there'll be raspberries.

Tony said the best way to know what's available is to visit hazensfarm.com. He and his wife, Ileana, took over the farm in 2010. In 2013, they added buildings for the bakery, kitchen and u-pick.

"We made it a little more of a country farm kind of feel instead of being out of a garage," he said.

The farm grows three main varieties of blueberries. Most are Bluecrop.

"It's a big berry, nickel-to-quarter-sized when the first ones come out," Tony said. "They can be gigantic and start out tart. They get smaller and sweeter."

The farm also grows Blueray and Jersey blueberries.

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"This year, this is the biggest crop we've ever had," Tony said.

Cathy Brennan, an employee at the farm's bakery, said the business hires young people to pick blueberries and pays them by the pound. Her son, Rylan, is working with her this season.

"They are a great family to work for," she said. "Tony is great at teaching young kids the value of a dollar."

— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. 

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: This Marion Township blueberry farm has deep community roots