Pastoral Salem Township, located between Plymouth/Northville and Ann Arbor, is one of our region’s hidden treasures.  This month, I’ll be featuring information about Salem Township’s horse farms, recreational facilities, and real estate. If you’re seeking gently rolling meadows, country roads, estate sized properties with woods and ponds, and convenient access to local towns and amenities, Salem Township is definitely worthy of consideration.

Located in Washtenaw County, Salem Township is quite large at approximately 34 square miles, but the population is sparse at about 5,600.  When searching for real estate, it can be a bit tricky as the area includes six different zip codes – two in Northville, and one each in Plymouth, Ann Arbor, Salem, and South Lyon.  It also comprises four different school districts – South Lyon, Plymouth-Canton, Northville and Ann Arbor.

When I think of Salem Township, I always think of the horse farms!  You can see the horses grazing in the meadows, and many of my friends have their kids in riding lessons in Salem Township.  There are several horse farms, which specialize in different things and many offer boarding and riding lessons for children and adults.  Here are links to a few of them: Aberdeen Farm, Constantine Farms, Great Escape Stables, Willowbrooke Farm.

The last time I had seen a yak was when my husband and I traveled to Tibet 13 years ago for an out-of-the-way kind of adventure trip.  Tibet has many yaks grazing in the Himalayas, and yak meat is a common food used in a few different dishes, and the butter is used for yak butter tea. I digress…Anyway, you might imagine my surprise when I found that there is a yak farm right here in Salem Township!  Michigan Yakkers, LLC, is the only yak meat producing farm in Michigan. Yak meat is more like grass-fed beef and has great flavor and health benefits.  The yak farm is located at Currie Road, just South of Six Mile Road.  They also have sheep and ducks and I believe they sell their yak meat to Hillers Markets and Karl’s Cabin Restaurant.  You can find them on Facebook.

Look for Salem Township Part II coming soon!