Up North Blog

Nels Veliquette is a second generation cherry farmer, the C.F.O. of Cherry Ke and Cherries R Us, and for the last decade, a vital partner of Cherry Republic. The Veliquette family owns and leases thousands of acres of cherry orchards in Northern Michigan. They are fully integrated farmers, meaning they pick, pit and store all of the cherries they grow. Cherry growers throughout the United States have had the added burden of trying to compete with the unfair practice of cherry dumping f ...

Dr. Nikki Rothwell's name and reputation are well known among Michigan fruit farmers and, frankly, to anyone who likes to stay abreast of the health of our area's cherry crop. For the past 15+ years, Nikki has been the face of the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center (NWMHRC) as the District's Integrated Pest Management Agent for Fruit. In 2010 she was named NWMHRC Coordinator and District Extension Horticulture Educator — splitting her responsibilities between the Mich ...

Returning to MIchigan after raising their family in Indianapolis, Sarah Hallstedt and her husband, Phil, purchased their 53-acre cherry farm in Northport, MI, in 2006 to pursue their dream of fruit farming. Relying on used equipment bought at auction and the kind advice of local growers and researchers at MSU like Nikki Rothwell, the Hallstedts slowly transformed 22 acres of decrepit old tart cherry trees into fertile ground ready for the planting of 9,500 sweet cherry trees in 2010-2012.Al ...

Not only is 2020 the start of a brand new decade, it's also an election year. So we're kicking off a campaign of our own: Vote Cherries 2020! Our platform is simple. Let's support the candidates and causes that make Michigan special -- like our pristine lakes and thriving cherry orchards. Through monthly blogs and videos, we hope to inspire you to join us in this positive and hope-filled initiative. Today we kick off the first installment of Vote Cherries 2020 with a nod to our beautiful Sl ...

Bob Sutherland and Nels Veliquette, CFO of CherryKe, looking toward the future1-17-20 UPDATE:The International Trade Commission on Wednesday decided to reverse its earlier implementation of preliminary tariffs on dried tart cherries from Turkey. Our friend Nels Veliquette (pictured above with Bob) was quoted in the Detroit News as saying this ruling "represents a body blow to an industry that was already struggling in the commodities cycle." While this is indeed a hard knock, we are hopeful ...

Is there anything better than coming home to a simmering pot of soup on a cold winter night? This hearty recipe features our double-milled aged Premium Cherry White Cheddar Cheese and vitamin-packed cauliflower. Add a crusty baguette, a leafy green salad, and a bottle of your favorite cabernet for the perfect winter dinner!Ingredients3 tablespoons unsalted butter1 medium yellow onion, diced1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth8 oz. wel ...

Cherry Republic closed out the decade with a bang, packing 2019's calendar with everything from new product rollouts and building projects to fun customer events, a spiffy new website, and much more. Check out some of the highlights and prepare yourself for an exciting 2020!10. Traveling Test KitchenLast spring we packed up our first ever Traveling Test Kitchen and hit the road, visiting all six of our stores during March and April. Citizens had the chance to taste-test several new products ...

For those of us who have been around Cherry Republic awhile, it's hard to believe that at the start of the 2010s we only had two retail stores! Our flagship campus in Glen Arbor grew little by little since Bob started the company in 1989 out of the trunk of his car, and then our second location was added in 2007 in downtown Traverse City. As we round the corner into 2020, we are bursting with pride when we consider our six thriving stores scattered throughout out beautiful state of Michigan.Over ...

Throughout the Land of Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie, Christmas is one of our favorite holidays! When you walk into one of our six Cherry Republic stores, we hope you will feel invited to join us in celebrating the season and our ruby red morsels of joy. You'll find a different Christmas tree display in each of our stores, making every tree unique to that location. At our Glen Arbor location, you'll be greeted by Big Bertha, a 14 ft tall concolor fir tree from Schmuckal's Tr ...

Terry and Kim Vandercook have been breeding and raising goats for the past 13 years at their Sand Bar Farm in Manton, Michigan. They strive to be good stewards of the land and respect their natural resources by practicing intensive rotational grazing, while composting all manure and bedding material and returning it to the fields. They avoid the use of commercial fertilizers and herbicides; instead, they deploy the goats when and where needed to improve pasture and forage performance.  ...

Cherry Republic is proud to announce the final dash to the finish for our 2019 donations -- Our 31 Days of Giving. Several times a week through the month of December, we will announce our recipients. This year, Cherry Republic has saved $250,000 to give away over the 31 days this month. As we have for decades, we prioritize our giving toward organizations protecting Northern Michigan’s water, land and quality of life. Our 2019 focus will be on Climate Action and Michigan’s move to renewable ...

On Tuesday, Glen Arbor and its surroundings woke up to the most astounding 30 inches of snow I've witnessed in my half century in the north. It was powdery like the stuff the mountains get. It was picturesque like the wildest north woods. The morning was calm and quiet, and while there was barely anywhere to go, it felt so good to be outside.When the official snow totals were in, Glen Arbor had 30 inches and a few hillsides had 38 inches that left us all stunned while working to move it out of o ...

Last month, we told you about Trisann -- one of our seasonal International Ambassadors, who left Glen Arbor at the end of the summer to return to her home country of Jamaica as a high school chemistry teacher. She was in need of some basic supplies for her students, and our Citizens responded with generous hearts. (Click here for an update on Trisann's school.)Well, it turns out Trisann wasn't the only future teacher among our ranks. Meet Miguel Binns, who has worked in the kitchen at Cherr ...

If you ask most Cherry Republic employees what their favorite season is, they’ll more than likely tell you that it's fall. In Northern Michigan, the weather during this time of year is still beautiful, and there’s a nice lull between the crazy days of summer and the jolly-yet-hectic weeks leading up to Christmas.The only problem is, there isn’t an official holiday throughout the fall season. So with a nod toward our whimsical company value of ‘Beaches’ (as in “Life, Liberty, Beaches & Pie"), ...

If you stopped by our Cherry Public House over the last two summers, you might recognize the smiling face of Trisann, pictured above. One of our dynamite International Ambassadors, she worked as a seasonal prep cook in our Glen Arbor kitchen, but left a few weeks early this year to take a job as a high school chemistry teacher in her home country of Jamaica.We've been checking in with Trisann, and she recently shared that her students are in need of some very basic school supplies (see ...