Sharing the Bounty

Michigan State University Tollgate Farm continues a line of stewardship on this land that began when John and Ervilla Bassett first settled 160 acres here at Twelve Mile and Meadowbrook Roads in 1837. With access to Grand River Avenue a mile away, the farm grew, and the Bassett family cared for the property until 1951. Adolph and Giner Meyer, who owned auto supply companies in southeast Michigan, then kept Tollgate as a working farm. Over the years, the farm included an orchard, dairy, livestock, and row crops. In 1978, the Meyers established the Americana Foundation to promote farmland preservation, and in 1987 the foundation donated a portion of the farm to Michigan State University as a living education center.

Novi, Michigan · United States