Proven Winners Landscape Roadshow at Historic Castle Farms, Michigan

On August 25, 2023, Michigan's historic Castle Farms hosted our Proven Winners Landscape Roadshow.
The one-day educational event was co-Sponsored by the Great Lakes Branch of the Professional Grounds Management Society and the Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association.
Attendees included landscape professionals, landscape architects and designers, commercial property owners, and members of the region's active garden clubs.
The program was approved for FIVE LA CES Credits and Attendance Certificates for ASLA Members, FIVE CEU Credits for APLD Members, and FOUR CGIP credits for MNLA Members.
The morning's program included introductions of the newest Proven Winners introductions by Four Star Greenhouse's John Antonelli (Proven Winners Annuals), Spring Meadow Nursery's Jane Beggs-Joles (Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs), and Walters Garden's Josh Roggenbuck (Proven Winners Perennials).
During a catered lunch, attendees listened to an overview of Proven Winners AquaPot containers by program-initiator, Jack Barnwell. Lunch concluded with Marvin Verwys introducing the Manthei Companies who , in 2021, opened a landscape supply yard in Charlevoix focused on hardscapes, engineered soils, and other garden related items.
Lead by Proven Winners Certified Landscape Professional, Kevin Pearsall, the afternoon concluded with a walking tour of the beautiful grounds and gardens throughout the Castle Farms property.
Over the years, Proven Winners Certified Landscape Professional, Kevin Pearsall, has worked with Linda & Richard Mueller to create the extraordinary grounds and gardens that complement this beautiful property.
Castle Farms was designated as a Proven Winners Signature Garden in 2022.

Built in 1918 by Albert Loeb, the acting President of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. as a model dairy farm, Loeb Farms was modeled after the stone barns and castles found in Normandy, France. At its peak the farm was the largest employer in Charlevoix County, with over 90 people on its payroll. It had more than 200 head of prize-winning Holstein-Friesian and 13 pair of Belgian draft horses. It even had its own baseball team- the Sodbusters. In 1962, John VanHaver purchased one hundred acres of the original Loeb Farms property and renamed it Castle VanHaver. He opened it to the public in 1966, offering tours, a cafe, and an art gallery with a working artist studio on site. Arthur and Edwina Reibel purchased the property in 1969. They tried out many businesses, but eventually settled on a concert venue under the name Castle Farms Summer Music Theater. The property hosted many concerts through the 1970’s to early 1990’s, including headliners like Tina Turner, Aerosmith and The Doobie Brothers, to name a few. Linda Mueller purchased Castle Farms in 2001 and began an extensive restoration project. The roofs were replaced, wings were added back according to original blueprints, and extensive gardens were created. The Castle began hosting weddings in 2002. Family activities and events followed, creating a destination for the whole family.

Castle Farms

5052 M-66 North

Charlevoix, Michigan 49720

Event Schedule

10:00 am - 3:30 pm

Castle Farms Landscape Roadshow 2023 Program [PDF] 2023 Castle Farms PW Roadshow Inviation [PDF]