Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine | JUL ’19 85
commercial pitting machine that removes
the stone from the cherries you pick. This
is important since 99% of the uses of tart
cherries require pitted fruit. Once they are
picked and pitted, take them home and
can or freeze them within 24 hours. When
you freeze them in 4-cup increments, this
makes it very easy to use for recipes.How is your whole family involved
in the farm/orchard?
Hallstedts: Our kids were 13, 11 and 8
when we bought the property, and they
have done everything from helping to get
rocks out of freshly-tilled dirt to white-
washing the tree trunks with carwash mitts
and white latex paint to protect the young
tree trunks from the sun burning them
(reflected from the snow). Our kids are
now 22, 25 and 27; our youngest, who is
getting a degree in mechanical engineer-
ing, comes home for breaks and helps to
repair equipment. The other two live in
Chicago, and come when they can, often
with friends.
Kings: There are currently 10 immediate
family members actively working on the
farm. There’s a good chance you’ll run into
one of them at either the market or while
U-Picking!Any last thoughts about why this
is your calling?
Hallstedts: We have both worked in
corporate America, and see this as our next
season that we can participate in together.
Kings: There’s nothing more gratifying
than seeing our customers who appreciate
the orchards and our hard work.it all began...
Presbyterian missionary Peter Dougherty
planted cherry trees on Old Mission
Peninsula in 1852 and boy, oh, boy did those
cherry trees flourish. Copycat farmers saw
similar success, and by the early 1900s, the
cherry industry was firmly planted in the
rolling hills along Lake Michigan—where
our magical microclimate tempers the
Arctic winds in winter and cools the
orchards in summer.