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Martha Stewart Living to feature local TreeMendus Fruit Farm

By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
Thursday, November 8, 2007 10:53 AM EST

DOWAGIAC - Martha Stewart Living recently took the TreeMendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire by storm, including Liz Teichman's kitchen, for an upcoming magazine spread on heritage apples.

Summers Herb Teichman promotes cherries with the International Pit Spit the first Saturday each July, apparently leaving fall for a different fruit, apples.

He talked to Rotary Club last Thursday about apples and was returning to Dowagiac Wednesday night for The Junior Arts Club's guest night at Wood Fire, followed by a special presentation of "Jake's Women" at Beckwith Theatre.

Teichman said Wednesday afternoon that a food writer he knows gave Stewart one of his apples on her television program. A team of a half-dozen people, including writers, photographers and pie bakers - but not Stewart - visited TreeMendus for three days during the gorgeous weather spell in early October.

"She's got quite an arsenal of people," Teichman remarked.

Stewart's associates stayed in Benton Harbor, commuted in two cars and "took over" Mrs. Teichman's kitchen, which meant Herb was available to sample pie made from a dozen varieties of apples he suggested.

"I'm looking forward to next year when it comes out," he said. "It will really help us out," like when a Julia Child mention made pears fly off his shelves.

Given his proximity to Chicago, he said other TreeMendus visitors have included Oprah Winfrey and Dennis Hastert, who used to pick peaches before becoming House Speaker.

Years ago, for the Pit Spit, Teichman tried unsuccessfully to arrange an exhibition with Muhammad Ali and Howard Cosell as a hospital fundraiser.

Herb's sister Judy happened to be here, too, and the San Francisco attorney helped him "negotiate a settlement" for use of their kitchen that included a subscription.

"It's quite a nice magazine," he said of the catalog-sized glossy monthly.

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