Our family has been farming in America since 1640.

Family of six standing outdoors in a grassy field, with a woman holding a young boy, surrounded by three children and two men, under a partly cloudy sky.

Brookwood Fruit Farm is a 6th generation family fruit farm that grows 50 varieties of apples, tart cherries, and peaches. We also make fresh apple cider weekly with our own special blend of hand-picked apples. We are a family farm that takes pride in offering our guests quality fruit and a memorable experience. Come and join us and see what has made Brookwood Fruit Farm unique for over 100 years.

A young man in a suit sitting on a stone wall outdoors, holding a hat in his lap, with trees in the background.

Man and boy in red shirts at apple stand inside market with apples and apple cider for sale, Brookwood Fruit Farm sign in background.

270 years before there was Brookwood...

In 1640, at the age of 15, Henry Bristol was a stowaway aboard a ship of emmigrants from England traveling to Colonial America. After landing at the newly founded New Haven, Connecticut Colony, he spent 6 years as an indentured servant to a cooper-smith. Henry grew up on a fruit farm in England, and once in America, he continued to grow tree fruits as well as cooper-smithing. In 1656 Henry married Lydia Brown, had 11 children together, and the Bristol family spent the next nearly 175 years farming in Connecticut.

Henry’s great-great-grandson, Bezaleel Bristol III, was a Captain in the Connecticut Militia, and received for his service in the American Revolution an 80 acre land grant given by Register of Deeds (and later President of the United States) Andrew Jackson. Bezaleel’s son was then given the land grant, and by 1827 the family traveled by covered wagon to Detroit in the Michigan Territory, still 10 years before becoming a state. After arriving in Detroit, the family resupplied before taking two weeks blazing a trail 40 miles north to the area now known as Almont. The Bristols were the second settlers in the area, and once there, continued to farm tree fruits, vegetables, and livestock.

The beginning of Brookwood...

In 1910, William Howard Bristol purchased an adjacent property to his home farm that that would become Brookwood Fruit Farm. The farm consisted of fruit trees, woods, and a brook that runs through the woods, hence the name Brookwood Fruit Farm.

Brookwood splits off on its own in order to expand...

William Howard sold the farm in the 1930's to his son Willitto Kelsey (WK). WK grew the farm into a much larger scale fruit farm that specialized in wholesaleing high quality apples, cherries, and peaches, as well as other fruits, vegetables, and livestock.

Brookwood drops livestock and vegetables in order to focus on fruit...

By the mid 1960's, the farm was passed on to WK's son, Bill, where he left the vegetable and livestock markets to solely focus on growing the highest quality fruit for the wholesale market.

Brookwood switches from wholesale to retail...

By 1988, Bill's son Charles took over the farm, and shifted the focus of the farm out of the wholesale business and into the retail market.

The next generation at Brookwood

By 2022, Chuck’s youngest son, Will, took ownership of the farm, and with his wife, are now raising their children among the highest quality tree fruits possible.

An elderly man sitting in a wooden chair next to a large stone fireplace in a living room, with a mantle decorated with lamps and a picture hanging above it.

A woman in black standing next to a large vintage printing press in a rustic workshop with brick and wood walls.