What is Zach up to these days?

Zach at one of his many desks!

Summer is here – and Seaquist family members and employees are working non-stop!

Our next family member in our story of what we do during the off-season is Zach.  BUT, it’s not the off season anymore!  Summer, fall, winter or spring, – Zach, who grew up working in the farm machine shop, orchard, beside his dad Dale, is busy year-round, building and repairing equipment.  Zach is in charge of the machine shop, heads up the harvesting crew during cherry season, implements and maintains our irrigation systems, and helps us all whenever he can with whatever needs to be done.  Zach is one of our behind-the-scenes family members, – who helps make it all go well for the rest of us.

What has Robin been up to this winter?

Officially, Robin Seaquist is Jim’s administrative assistant, whether it is summer, winter, spring or fall – but she doesn’t stop there!   She works in the office of Seaquist Orchards, and loves what she does!  Winter is the time to analyze how we spend our time, our money and our energies, and Robin works on all of those aspects of our business.  Whether it’s analyzing insurance needs, tax information, government requirements, workmen’s compensation or any other number of things, Robin does it.  Mountains of paperwork, payroll, hundreds of phone calls and often unexciting work doesn’t bother her, although she looks forward to her days off, hoping to find time to settle in with a good book or perhaps put a new coat of paint on some walls. Spring usually finds Robin in Florida for a few days, at least, and as soon as it’s warm enough outside, you can see her working in her garden and flower beds here at home.

Jim’s jobs at Seaquist Orchards

Seaquist Orchards is a busy place, even during the winter months, and especially for Jim Seaquist!

This winter has been especially hectic for Jim, as he has been planning and advising on the building of our new production facility, located next door to the farm market.  Be sure to check out our new facility, where you will be able to watch us make jam, press apple cider, and grade our apples.  Jim is Chairman of the Board of Cherrco, an innovative cooperative marketing organization  that markets cherries throughout the country.  If Jim isn’t flying to and from Michigan for meetings, he can be found in his office, working on land purchases or leases for orchards, preparing for the upcoming cherry harvest season and for the processing of the fruit at Seaquist Processing, in Egg Harbor.  During his free time during the winter, Jim enjoys ice fishing, hunting, being with his family, reading, and snowmobiling.  However, cherries are never very far from Jim’s thoughts!

The next Seaquist family member is………

Kristin Seaquist is the next in line for our little presentation of what the Seaquist family members are doing during the winter in Door County.  The off season pace is certainly slower than it is May though October, but Kristin is still busy spending time analyzing what happened in the previous season, and planning for the upcoming season.  She usually attends at least one gift show, has often attended national farm marketing conferences, and dreams about what might be possible in the upcoming years!  Walking in the cherry orchards, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, reading, knitting, spending time with friends, doing Bible studies and especially enjoying her family without being in a rush, help round out the winter months.  But – with March here – she has been working in earnest, getting ready for the May 16 opening day of Seaquist Orchard Farm Market.

The Seaquist Family is Busy!

We thought you might enjoy learning what each Seaquist family member does during the winter months.  You may think that we leave Door County, and put all thoughts of cherries, tractors, pies, jams and apples on the back burner, as we head out of town.  We all do try to get away for a week or two, but we are busy in the winter, getting ready for the next season.

We will tell you about our family in a very diplomatic way – from the oldest to the youngest!  So, today we will fill you in on Dale Seaquist, the patriarch of Seaquist Orchards, Seaquist Orchards Farm Market, and our family.

Most of you know Dale as the “man in the back who samples the apples” – and that’s who he is alright, along with so much more!

Dale’s comment about winter often goes like this, “There are two things the matter with winter:  it’s too short, and there is never enough snow.”  This winter seems to exemplify that more than any other winter in recent history.  We have had very little snow this year, – and the days seem to be filled and flying by.  Dale took off on his motorcycle shortly after the market closed for the season in October, for what he considers to be a relatively short trip – to Alabama to see some family members. He and Kristin have also taken a couple of shorter road trips, and have a few things in the works yet, as far as traveling goes.

Much of Dale’s time is spent repairing, building and dreaming about what we can do next in our family business.  He’s the inventor of the family, and has built some amazing things over the years!

Right now, Dale is working on restoring a 1930 Model N Fordson, like the first tractor Dale drove.  You will have to see it when you come to the market this next season – it’s quite the tractor!

Dale will likely never retire from being a farmer  Why would he?  He loves what he is doing!