05/18/2026
Did you know that the oldest family farm in Michigan is only TWO DAYS younger than the United States of America itself?
That’s right…while the United States was declaring independence from Great Britain, brothers William and Alexander Macomb—Irish-born fur traders and land speculators—were purchasing Grosse Ile from the Potawatomi. Michigan’s oldest family-owned farm, Westcroft (meaning West Farm) Gardens, was founded there on July 6, 1776. It is currently owned by seventh generation Macomb family descendants and operated by the eighth generation. Apples, cherries, grapes, peaches, and pears were the first crops produced at Westcroft Gardens, and some livestock was raised on the farm as well. The most lucrative crop was hay, which was shipped to Detroit to feed work horses in the 1800s and early 1900s.
The Michigan Centennial Farm program recognizes farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more and highlights the farm’s contributions to the state. Learn all about it at https://hsmichigan.org/awards/michigan-centennial-farmr-program
