JulyAug 2026 Cherryland

Cherryland Electric Cooperative

July/August 2026

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

The Future of Cherryland’s Facilities Rooted in the Future Building on Our Values History in the Making

1972

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

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Mt Pleasant Walton Htg & Clg (989) 772-4822 waltonheating.com

Berrien Springs WaterFurnace Michiana (269) 473-5667 gogreenmichgeothermal.com

Hart Adams Htg & Clg (231) 873-2665 adamsgeothermal-mi.com

Big Rapids Stratz Htg & Clg, Inc. (231) 796-3717 stratzgeocomfort.com

Holland G.H.P. Systems Inc. (616) 396-5833 ghpsystems-inc.com

Muskegon TMC Mechanical LLC (231) 865-1114 www.tmcmechanicalllc.com

Cadillac Wilder Htg & Clg (231) 645-4822 Wilderheatingandcooling.com

Indian River M&M Plmb & Htg (231) 238-7201 mm-plumbing.com

Filion/Bad Axe Air-O-Dynamic Htg & Clg (989) 582-0137 aod-hvac.com

Lansing Candor Mechanical (517) 920-0890 candormechanical.com

Gaylord Family Plmb & Htg (989) 732-8099 familyplumbingandheating.com

Michigan Center Comfort 1/Aire Serv of Southern Michigan (517) 764-1500 airserv.com/southern-michigan

Portage Bel Aire Htg & Clg 1-888-235-2473 belaire.com Portland ESI Htg & Clg (517) 647-6906 esiheating.com Sparta West Michigan Geothermal (616) 887-1290 Westmigeothermal.com

Three Rivers Bel Aire Htg & Clg 1-888-235-2473 belaire.com Traverse City Geofurnace Htg & Clg (231) 943-1000 geofurnace.com

CO-OP REBATE INCENTIVES $2,250 rebate available through your co-op.

Sunfield Mark Woodman Plmb & Htg (517) 886-1138 mwphonline.com

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Enter at waterfurnace.com/giveaway 1. Visit the WF giveaway landing page for full details and requirements.

visit waterfurnace.com/mi The Reliable Renewable is a trademark of WaterFurnace International, Inc.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

Contents countrylines.com

July/August 2026 Vol. 46, No. 7

/michigancountrylines

/michigancountrylines

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Casey Clark EDITOR: Christine Dorr GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karreen Bird RECIPE EDITOR: Christin Russman COPY EDITOR: Yvette Pecha CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Emily Haines Lloyd PUBLISHER: Michigan Electric Cooperative Association Michigan Country Lines, USPS591-710, is published monthly, except August and December, with periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Mich., and additional offices. It is the official publication of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, 201 Townsend St., Suite 900, Lansing, MI 48933.

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Subscriptions are authorized for members of Alger Delta, Cherryland, Great Lakes, HomeWorks Tri-County, Midwest Energy & Communications, Ontonagon, Presque Isle, and Thumb electric cooperatives by their boards of directors.

POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. ASSOCIATION OFFICERS: Chris O’Neill, HomeWorks TriCounty Cooperative, chairman; Gabe Schneider, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, vice chairman; Shaun Lamp, Great Lakes Energy Cooperative, secretary-treasurer; John Kran, president and CEO.

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CONTACT US/LETTERS TO EDITOR: Michigan Country Lines 201 Townsend St., Suite 900 Lansing, MI 48933 248-534-7358 editor@countrylines.com

MI CO-OP Community

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please notify your electric cooperative.

See page 4 for contact information.

The appearance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services advertised.

MICHIGAN’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

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6 DIGGING INTO THE RICH

RECIPE CONTEST

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN’S KEWEENAW PENINSULA The majestic land of the Keweenaw captivates visitors with natural beauty and hidden riches below the surface.

GUEST COLUMN

10 MI CO-OP KITCHEN

MYSTERY PHOTO

14 TAKING THE LONG

See details on page 10. Autumn Comfort Foods, due Aug. 1; Heirloom Recipes, due Sept. 1.

Win a $100 bill credit!

See details on page 18. Share your fondest memories and stories.

Win $200 for stories published!

See details on page 18.

Win a $100 bill credit!

To enter contests, submit reader content & more, visit countrylines.com/community

Chill Out! No Cook: Summer made simple.

WAY AROUND More than an endurance event, the Mackinac Island Swim is rooted in joy, connection, and community.

18 GUEST COLUMN

A Farmers Market Tradition.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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CO-OP NEWS 2026 Cherryland Electric Cooperative Election Results The 2026 Cherryland Electric Cooperative election came to a close at the 88th Annual Meeting on June 11. Members elected one at-large director and one Leelanau County director.

LEELANAU BENZIE

GRAND TRAVERSE

MANISTEE

WEXFORD

KALKASKA

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Gabe Schneider, President 517-449-6453 gschneider@cherrylandelectric.coop Valarie Handy, Senior Vice President 231-392-4705 vhandy@cherrylandelectric.coop Melinda Lautner, Secretary 231-947-2509 mlautner@cherrylandelectric.coop Dean Adams, Treasurer 231-642-0014 dadams@cherrylandelectric.coop Terry Lautner, Director 231-883-6455 tlautner@cherrylandelectric.coop David Schweitzer, Director 231-883-5860 dschweitzer@cherrylandelectric.coop Tom Van Pelt, Director 231-386-5234 tvanpelt@cherrylandelectric.coop

The membership elected Dave Schweitzer as the at-large director and Tom Van Pelt as the Leelanau County director. Complete election results can be found on our website.

Cherryland Office Closings and Summer Hours From June 1 through Sept. 4, the cooperative office will be open Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m. These extended hours help to increase operational efficiency in the field and provide a larger window of time for members to take advantage of our in-person member services.

The Cherryland office will be closed Thursday, July 2, in observance of Independence Day. Normal summer business hours will resume Monday, July 6.

The office will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day, resuming traditional office hours (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.) on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Additional reminders and more information about the scheduling change will be shared in Michigan Country Lines, on social media, and via e-mail.

During office closures, line crews are always on call to respond to any outages or emergencies. You can report an outage by texting OUT to 800-442-8616, logging into SmartHub, or calling us at 231-486-9200.

Thanks for joining us at Cherryland’s 88th Annual Meeting!

CEO Rachel Johnson CO-OP EDITOR: Courtney Doyle: cdoyle@cherrylandelectric.coop OFFICE HOURS Monday–Thursday 6:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

TELEPHONE NUMBERS 231-486-9200 or 1-800-442-8616 (Mich.)

ADDRESS P.O. Box 298, Grawn, MI 49637 PAY STATION Cherryland Electric Cooperative office 5930 U.S. 31 South, Grawn MI, 49637 Cherryland Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

cherrylandelectric.coop

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/cherrylandelectriccoop

@cherrylandec

Rooted In The Future

Cherryland’s New Headquarters Facility

By Rachel Johnson, Cherryland CEO

When I was 5 years old, my parents bought their first house. There was a field along the northside of the property. The property was on the outskirts of a growing community and my dad, rightly, anticipated that we might not always enjoy the privacy benefits afforded by that open field.

Our first year in the house, we planted pine trees along that 350-foot property line. Well, not trees, exactly. Seedlings, barely knee-high. That first summer, and the summer after that, I helped him haul water to every one of them.

We enjoyed watching those trees grow and thrive. We eventually sold that house, and by then the trees were as tall as me.

Today, they form a complete windbreak and privacy barrier between that property and the senior living center that eventually went up in the field next door. My dad planted trees he would never sit in the shade of. He just knew they needed to be there.

I think about that a lot in my role at Cherryland. Every investment we make, every decision our board approves, and every dollar we spend must serve our members today and protect the cooperative our kids will inherit.

Our region is growing. We all see and feel it. Our team here at Cherryland has spent a significant portion of the last few years planning and preparing for that growth.

Over the next several years, we have ambitious plans to meet this growth as we continue to move overhead lines underground, rebuild aging infrastructure, and modernize the grid with technology that makes your power more reliable and more resilient. Our members experience

about one-third of the power outages of the statewide average. We intend to keep it that way.

We’re also investing $35 million into our headquarters. In July, we will break ground on a new 115,000-squarefoot facility that is designed to serve our growing community well into the future. Our current building was constructed in 1972, when Cherryland served less than 10,000 members across about 1,300 miles of line.

Today, we serve more than 40,000 homes and businesses and maintain almost 3,400 miles of line. We looked hard at renovating our current facility. The cost was comparable to new construction, but without the longevity. Starting fresh best serves our members.

equity position is strong, our margins are healthy, and our borrowing costs are competitive. We built toward this moment on purpose.

I know one of your biggest questions is probably what this means for your rates. We’re finalizing a rate forecast right now, which indicates our future rate increases will remain in line with the broader inflationary environment even as we keep investing in our system on your behalf.

My dad planted those trees knowing they’d outlast him. That’s how we think about these investments—members benefit today, and the cooperative gets stronger with every year that follows.

My dad understood that. So does your board of directors.

The new facility will be sized to safely store the equipment needed to maintain your service. It will include a modern, cyber-secure, stormhardened dispatch and control center capable of operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

These are not decisions we make lightly. They are the result of years of planning and an unwavering commitment to keeping the lights on for our community, now and for future generations.

These system and facility investments will be funded through a combination of borrowing and relying on the financial strength we’ve spent years deliberately building. Cherryland’s

Get a closer look at the new facility in Cherryland COO Frank Siepker’s column on pages 8 & 9!

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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DISCOVERING MICHIGAN’S MAGIC Cassondra Wanders Adventure Series

Digging Into the Rich History of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula

By Cassondra Scott

huge influx of immigrants from Finland, Cornwall, and other regions, creating a unique cultural identity and helping shape the area’s diverse population.

This can be seen today in bilingual street signs, architecture, museums, and foods like the famous pasty.

Rising production costs, violent miner strikes, and the Great Depression brought job loss and population decline and ultimately led to the fall of the mining industry. Without the mines, the economy began to collapse. Many towns vanished, leaving behind ghost towns, industrial relics, and remnants of a bygone era.

Today, the Keweenaw National Historical Park preserves 20 heritage sites that offer tours into the past— showcasing the impact the mining downturn left on the communities and landscape for generations. Some of these sites include:

Forming the northernmost tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a striking shark fin-shaped area of land stands along the shore of by Lake Superior. Isolated by geography and refined by a geology so unique, there is nowhere else in the world quite like the Keweenaw Peninsula.

To really understand the whole picture, we have to go back a billion years to the Mesoproterozoic Era. This period of forming and shifting of Earth’s continents is when a midcontinent rift formed. Volcanic activity left behind nearly pure copper lava, producing the only strata on Earth with large-scale recoverable native copper at 97%.

For over 7,000 years, Lake Superior Indigenous people and their ancestors

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mined and traded this copper, using it to make tools, beads, and ornaments.

As European settlers arrived, the Ojibwa shared their knowledge of copper resources and by the 1840s, “copper fever” had struck.

In 1842, the U.S. gained title to the Keweenaw Peninsula and opened it to commercial mining, which continued to dominate the economy until the 1960s. Industrialization attracted a

• Once one of the nation’s largest copper producers, the village of Calumet gives a first-hand glimpse of what life was like in a mining town during the 19th century.

Landmarks include Calumet Visitor Center, Coppertown Mining Museum, and Calumet Theater.

• Quincy Mine, nicknamed “Old Reliable” for being one of the largest copper producers in the UP, is open year-round for tours.

Free self-guided tours are available above ground, while the full tour takes visitors on a cog-rail tram to descend 360 feet below ground and walk through the massive hoist house.

• From mid-May to October, Delaware Mine offers self-guided underground tours to explore at your own pace. Walk 110 feet below ground to Shaft No. 1. See copper veins on the walls, ruins of stone buildings, antique engines, and mining equipment.

The “Gateway to the Keweenaw” begins in Houghton, the largest city in Copper Country. Directly across the Portage Canal sits the rolling hills and red brick cityscape of Hancock.

Connecting the two cities is the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, the world’s heaviest and widest double-decked, vertical-lift bridge.

The 25-mile partially man-made Keweenaw Waterway bisects the Keweenaw Peninsula. It serves as a vital transport route, also offering cruises and boat tours. Everything to the north is known as Copper Island, because it’s technically surrounded completely by water.

monks. These men of peace have been serving up savory heavenly treats, jams, and jellies since 1983.

Copper Harbor is a harmonious blend of old America sprinkled with parks, beaches, waterfalls, shipwrecks, and lighthouses. It’s a popular destination for hiking, mountain biking, and camping.

It’s also home to Fort Wilkins State Park, an 1844-era frontier fort with 11 original buildings to tour.

Established to keep peace and manage civil unrest during the early copper rush, the fort remained open for only three years, as the harsh winters proved to be nearly unbearable for soldiers

to survive. By 1870, the Army had permanently abandoned the facility.

A wildly majestic place that seems to magically transport visitors back in time, the Keweenaw Peninsula offers natural beauty as far as the eye can see and an even greater treasure just beneath the surface. Shaped by Indigenous influence, European exploration, and a century-long mining boom, it remains one of Michigan’s richest regions in both history and landscape.

Scan the QR code to watch a video of Cassondra’s adventures to the Keweenaw Peninsula.

The drive from Houghton to Copper Harbor, the very northern point of the peninsula, is a little less than 50 miles.

The mountainous, rugged drive makes for an easy day trip. You’ll traverse Brockway Mountain, Keweenaw’s best-known summit, which towers 735 feet above the lake below.

Take a pilgrimage to the Jampot in Eagle Harbor, a bakery, candy, and coffee shop run by Catholic Byzantine

Cassondra Scott is a content creator, writer, and social media influencer at Cassondra Wanders—sharing small businesses and sights to see all over the state of Michigan.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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Building On Our Values

By Frank Siepker, COO

My first day at Cherryland was May 21, 2003. Facebook didn’t exist yet. Renting a movie meant going to the nearest Blockbuster. And finding a phone number had you flipping through the phone book. A lot has changed over the last couple of decades, and the same is true for Cherryland.

31 years before I got here, staff moved into our current headquarters facility in Grawn. In 1972, system maps were being drawn and updated by hand, there were no live outage updates or text alerts, and everyone paid their bills by mail or in person.

Since then, the cooperative has grown and evolved—and today we do things much differently. Technology has made us more accurate and efficient. Our membership is growing

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faster than most other cooperatives our size, so we’re constantly planning ahead to make sure we’re prepared for that growth. And more than ever, members look to us to anticipate what’s next in order to keep the lights on and bills affordable.

sure we continue delivering the level of service our members expect.

Here are just a few of the improvements on the way for your co-op’s new headquarters:

We’ve spent more than half of Cherryland’s history serving members from our Grawn location. But, like those before us, we’ve outgrown the house.

It’s time to celebrate a new milestone in Cherryland history as we build a new headquarters facility that will see our members through another 50+ years of growth, innovation, and reliable service.

1. Expanded Warehouse and Storage Grounds: Our new facility more than doubles our indoor warehouse space, providing safe, secure storage for the materials and equipment used to build and maintain our system. Moving everything under cover means we can better protect one of the biggest investments we make on your behalf.

Projects like this are rare, and ours represents so much more than a new building. It’s an opportunity to plan for Cherryland’s future while making

2. Secure and Storm-Hardened Command Center: As technology evolves, protecting critical infrastructure and sensitive

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member data becomes even more important. We will soon have a secure, dedicated space that safeguards our grid-level assets and also serves as a storm command center, where dispatchers, engineers, and communications staff can work together to restore power and keep members informed.

3. Storm Response and Staging Space: The new facility will sit on 40 acres, more than double the size of our current property. This additional space will improve logistics during major restoration efforts by creating more room for materials, mutual aid crews, and operations support, helping crews spend more time getting the lights back on and less time behind the scenes.

Scan here to keep exploring the future of our facilities on our website!

4 Cherryland CO-OP | INTERIOR RENDERING |

4. More Accessible Member Engagement: Today, our member gathering space is not easy to get to, and frankly, not very welcoming.

The new headquarters will include a more accessible, comfortable space for member events, educational opportunities, and other programs that strengthen our connection to the communities we serve.

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After more than two decades working here, I’ve seen a lot of change, but there’s always one thing that remains constant: our commitment to our members. This new facility is an investment in each one of you— ensuring Cherryland continues to deliver reliable electricity and meets the changing needs of our members for generations to come.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

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MI CO-OP Kitchen

CHILL OUT! NO COOK Summer made simple.

SESAME CHICKEN CRUNCH SALAD

WINNING RECIPE!

Katie Grzesiak, Great Lakes Energy Dressing: 1 tablespoon sugar ¾ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ⅓ cup neutral oil (such as canola or avocado oil) 1½ tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or tamari (for gluten-free) Salad: 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 4–5 cups) or 6 cooked chicken breasts, seasoned and shredded 1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 5 cups) or 2 heads romaine lettuce, shredded 1–2 carrots, shredded 4 green onions, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons toasted sliced or slivered almonds 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1 (3-ounce) can fried rice noodles (Asian-style crunchy noodles, such as La Choy) In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, black pepper, ground ginger, neutral oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce until well combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cabbage/lettuce, carrots, green onions, almonds, sesame seeds, and fried rice noodles. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat and combine. Serve immediately. If you expect leftovers, allow the chicken to cool completely before adding it to the salad and serve the rice noodles separately to keep them from becoming soggy.

Watch a video of this month’s winning recipe at micoopkitchen.com/videos

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HAM-N-CHEESE BALL

CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

Julie Stellema, Alger Delta 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1 teaspoon onion powder 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon seasoning salt 3 tablespoons finely chopped ham, optional 1 cup bacon bits, optional

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, seasoning salt, and ham, if using. Stir well until combined. Form the mixture into a ball, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until firm. When ready to serve, spread the bacon bits on a plate and roll the cheese ball in the bacon until evenly coated. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with crackers.

Bill & Mary Jo Williams, Great Lakes Energy 1 (6-ounce) bag Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 1 (10-ounce) bag Reese’s Peanut Butter Morsels

1 can (10–12 ounces) Planters Spanish Peanuts (use only Spanish peanuts for best results)

Combine the semi-sweet chocolate morsels and peanut butter morsels in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir well.

Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the Spanish peanuts until evenly coated. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto wax paper or parchment paper. Let the candy harden at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then leave on the counter for at least 1 hour before storing in a tin or airtight container. Makes approximately 45–50 clusters. The recipe can easily be doubled.

GRAPE SALAD

SEVEN-LAYER TACO DIP

Rhonda DeBolt, Cherryland Electric

Linda Gowman, Presque Isle

4 pounds seedless green grapes, or a combination of green and red grapes 8 ounces sour cream 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 ounces chopped pecans 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Remove the grape stems and rinse the grapes in vinegar water, then allow them to dry completely. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the grapes, then mix in most of the pecans and brown sugar, reserving a small amount to sprinkle over the top before serving. Cover and refrigerate overnight if possible, allowing the sugar to fully dissolve and the flavors to blend.

RECIPE CONTEST

1 (15-ounce) can refried beans 5 tablespoons mayonnaise 5 tablespoons sour cream 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 bunch green onions, chopped (green tops only) ½ can black olives, drained and sliced 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Layer the ingredients in the order listed in a shallow serving dish, glass pie plate, or 8x8-inch baking dish, beginning with the refried beans and ending with the shredded cheddar cheese. Serve chilled or at room temperature with tortilla chips and salsa.

Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Autumn Comfort Foods, due Aug. 1; Heirloom Recipes, due Sept. 1. Submit your favorite recipe for a chance to win a $100 bill credit and have your recipe featured in Country Lines with a photo and a video. Submit your recipe at micoopkitchen.com, or send it via email (include your full name and co-op) to recipes@countrylines.com.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 11

HISTORY IN THE MAKING A HISTORY OF CHERRYLAND’S HEADQUARTERS

1930

1940

1950

1939

1946

1951

• 122 E. Front Street, Traverse City

• 213 Bay Street, Traverse City

• 1102 Cass Street, Traverse City

• Cherryland’s First Official Home: Cherryland was officially formed in July 1938. Less than a year later, we turned the lights on for our first members and our four employees moved into the co-op’s first headquarters.

• Cherryland Needs More Space: Rural communities quickly realized the value electricity would bring and the co-op needed more staff, more materials, and more space to keep up with the growing membership.

• 2,000 members

• Opening Our Doors to Members: We’d figured out how to keep up with bringing power to new homes, farms, and businesses. It was time to make sure members had a welcoming space to come drop off their meter cards, pay their bills, and ask questions about their cooperative.

2010

2020

• 60 members

2000

196

• 2,997 members

2017 • Warehouse Expansion: More members require more infrastructure, and that means more materials and equipment.

Our warehouse was busting at the seams, so we built an addition onto our existing warehouse to house our growing fleet and inventory.

• 31,203 members

2019

2020–2026

• Making Space for Collaboration: Up until now, staff had just a small, office-sized break room to gather, share a meal, or meet to discuss new ideas. When we moved into the Grawn headquarters, we had 36 staff members. That team grew to 58 to manage growth in membership, technology, and member programs. It was time to create space for this team to do what they do best—work together creatively and purposefully to serve our members.

• Getting Creative and Exploring Options: 50 years after moving into the Grawn headquarters, the growth of our system, membership, and workforce started catching up with us. We got creative to make the most out of our space.

A reconfigured office here. An overflow storage rental there.

• 31,901 members

When the opportunity to purchase property off of Rennie School Road arose, the co-op began evaluating options for the future of Cherryland’s headquarters facility.

• 39,944 members

Scan here to keep exploring the future of our facilities on our website!

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From a small local office serving a growing rural membership to the modern, tech-forward facilities we need today, Cherryland’s story has always been one of growing alongside the communities we serve. Every chapter in our history reflects the same commitment: making thoughtful investments that keep service safe, reliable, affordable, and ready for whatever comes next.

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1970

1980

1972

1989

• 5930 US 31 South, Grawn

• Major Renovation—Boardroom and Office Space Expansion, Drive-Thru, and Warehouse Additions: 17 years after we moved in, we were growing in every direction. The membership was growing, our staff grew to serve those members, and the world as we knew it started to look a lot different. So, our headquarters needed to evolve, too. More space to serve. More ways to accommodate our members’ needs.

• Building to Serve: Cherryland’s membership more than tripled in size. 36 staff members were building, maintaining, and expanding upon our 1,355 miles of line. Growth was steady and we needed a space built for an electric utility, not retrofitted to serve as one. So, Cherryland built a facility that would support the membership for decades to come.

• 9,408 members

1990

• 15,815 members

~2028 • Oleson Boulevard • Cherryland’s Next Chapter: 90 years after your cooperative was formed, you’ll get to experience another important milestone in Cherryland history—the transition to Cherryland’s new headquarters facility off of Rennie School Road. This facility will provide the space, innovation, and security for the next generation of cooperative members.

CELEBRATE WITH US! LITTLE RED’S ICE CREAM TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2026 1–3 P.M.

Cherryland CO-OP | EXTERIOR RENDERING |

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Come celebrate this major Cherryland milestone with us! Stop by Little Red’s Ice Cream next to our office in Grawn for a free scoop on us and a closer look at the future home of your cooperative.

British Landing

TAKING THE LONG WAY AROUND

By Emily Haines Lloyd Grand Hotel

Fort Mackinac

Arch Rock

SWIM START

M

ost Mackinac Island visitors take the familiar route, walking its streets, pedaling its perimeter, or settling into a horse-drawn carriage.

But on one August morning each year, before the first rush of day-trippers arrives, hundreds of swimmers cross the straits with a different plan entirely. They step off early ferries wrapped in neoprene and nerves and head toward the shoreline to do something equal parts daunting and delightful: swim 8.2 miles around Mackinac Island.

From the outside, the Mackinac Island Swim can look like a test of endurance alone, the kind of event soaked in competitiveness and bragging rights.

And, yes, it is a serious challenge. But that’s only part of the story.

More Than an Endurance Event Talk to Event Director Jon Vos, and a different picture comes into focus.

“Endurance events can become all about the competition,” Vos says.

“From day one, we wanted it to be about the experience, the people, and just enjoying this thing we love to do with others who love it, too.”

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FINISH LINE

That philosophy shapes everything about the day. Yes, swimmers are timed, but mostly so organizers can track who is safely in and out of the water. There are no podiums at the finish line and no pressure to outperform. In fact, the only “trophies” handed out come from the local bakery, appropriately called Humble Pies. What you do see and feel are the people cheering each other on, taking in the crystal-clear water, and embracing the rare chance to experience Mackinac in an entirely unique way.

A Challenge Shared One of the most unique aspects of the swim is how connected it feels. Mackinac’s bike path traces the shoreline, making it unusually spectator-friendly. Friends and family can follow along from land, turning the entire route into a moving cheering section. Aid stations become gathering places. Visitors become invested in strangers.

“People make it their own,” Vos says.

“You see families out there, relay teams, people coming back year after year. It becomes part of their story.”

Even when conditions have been tough with cold water, wind, and waves, the response is often the same: “That was awful…see you next year.”

How It Began Like many good ideas, the Mackinac Island Swim started with a simple question.

In the wake of COVID, when events were canceled and plans disrupted, a small group of swimmers found themselves still heading north, still eager for connection and adventure.

Someone floated the idea: What if they went to Mackinac Island and swam around it?

It was a little bold. Totally impractical.

And immediately exciting.

With help from local swimmers and organizers, the idea quickly came together. The first year drew a whopping 250 swimmers. Last year there were over 400, with solo swimmers, relay teams, and support crews taking part.

What has stayed constant is the intent behind it. From the beginning, Vos wanted the swim to feel different from

MACKINAW ISLAND SWIM August 9, 2026 For more information, visit swimaroundmac.com

the ultra-competitive atmosphere often found in endurance sports: Less swagger. More shared experience.

A Community Effort Pulling off an 8.2-mile swim around an island is no small feat. It requires coordination with ferry operators, local boat captains, lifeguards, island paramedics, the Coast Guard, and city leaders. Around 70 people are involved each year, including a core planning team and dozens of volunteers.

But that effort reflects something more than logistics. The event has become part of the community itself.

Through its partnership with the Mackinac Women’s Club, the swim has helped raise roughly $100,000 to support local initiatives.

Where Bravery Meets Joy When the swimmers come ashore, they’re usually tired, sometimes shivering, but always smiling.

Yes, it takes endurance. Yes, it takes bravery.

But what people remember is the joy.

The cheers from shore. The stories traded afterward. The feeling of having done something hard, beautiful, and just a little bit crazy. Together.

As swimmers come out of the water smiling ear to ear, it’s clear this was never really about who finished first or beat their personal best. It was about taking the long way around to see both Mackinac and themselves differently.

And to carry home a story that only the water could give them.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 15

Your Board In Action May 2026 • The board of directors reviewed a construction agreement for the cooperative’s new headquarters facility and authorized CEO Rachel Johnson to sign the agreement, moving the project forward. The contract is a nearly $35 million guaranteed maximum price contract, which protects the co-op from any unexpected costs impacting the project down the road.

• The cooperative’s chief operating officer gave a presentation on the upcoming five-year work plan which includes more than $70 million in reliability and grid investments, including undergrounding more than 35 miles of line.

• The board received an update about recent cybersecurity testing. The testing found no high-risk vulnerabilities.

SAVINGS THAT MAKE THE GRADE Upgrade your appliances and get money back on your energy bill.

Every appliance comes with two price tags— the purchase price and the operating cost.

ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances help reduce the operating cost by reducing energy use without sacrificing performance.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative is offering rebates on qualified appliances to help you save on the purchase price. Now that’s smart savings!

Back to School Back to Savings

Scan the QR code to view eligible rebates or visit cherrylandelectric.coop/rebates

MI CO-OP Photo Contest

CUTE PETS MOST VOTES

1. MOST VOTES Misha Barney—Just waiting to be served my dinner.

2. Jennifer King—Mill-E is just a rescue pup enjoying every day to its fullest!

3. Madeline Kosobucki— Mackenzie & Wrigley—Big Wrigs & Lil Mac enjoying the summer in Northern Michigan on the boat!

4. Ryan Ruskowski—Boat days!

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5. Theresa Cook—The “rescue me” face worked!

6. Katie Chamberlain—Miss Sybil resting in the flowers.

Enter to win up to $200 off your energy bill!

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Submit Your “Iconic Landmarks” Photos By July 25! Submit your best photo and encourage your friends to vote! The photo receiving the most votes will be printed in an issue of Country Lines, along with some of our other favorites. Our July theme is Iconic Landmarks (Near and Far)! Photos can be submitted through July 25th to be featured in our September issue.

Enter Your Photos And Win A Bill Credit! To enter the contest, visit cherrylandelectric.coop/ photo-contest or visit facebook. com/cherrylandelectriccoop for a link to the current photo contest. Enter your picture, cast your vote, and encourage others to vote for you as well. If your photo is printed in Country Lines during 2026, you will be entered to win a credit of up to $200 on your December 2026 bill.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES 17

Where In Michigan Is This?

MI CO-OP Guest Column

A Farmers Market Tradition

By Kelsee Nemetz, A Cherryland Electric Cooperative member

MYSTERY PHOTO Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Identify the correct location of the photo above by July 25 and be entered into a drawing to win a $100 electric bill credit. Enter your guess at countrylines.com/community.

MAY 2026 WINNER! Our Mystery Photo winner is Christian Kleber, a Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op member who correctly identified the photo as Gertz Village Square in downtown Millersburg, Mich.

Winners are announced in the following issues of Country Lines: January, March, May, July/ August, September, and November/December.

18 JULY/AUGUST 2026

A family tradition is something that moves us closer to those we love. They provide an opportunity for bonding and create lifelong memories. These family traditions were exactly what we were looking to create for our new little brood.

We moved from my daughter’s and my birthplace of Grand Rapids when she was 3, and landed in my husband’s hometown of Traverse City. Moving from a bigger city to a smaller beach town was a bit jolting. Everything was now much closer to us, no longer needing a trek across the highway just to get groceries. And that newfound shorter driving radius included a ton of little pop-up farmers markets.

I have always loved the idea of a farmers market. However, traveling to the markets in Grand Rapids always proved stressful. Traffic was usually a nightmare, and when you arrived...it was a coin flip if you would find a decent parking space. I noticed that all changed when we moved up north. With everything much more spread out and spacious, I experienced a lot less stress just getting around town.

We began by visiting the Sara Hardy

market in downtown Traverse City, and then expanded our search to the Interlochen Farmer’s market.

Now, opening weekend is a bit of a ritual. My daughter loves riding in our wagon and looking around at the jewelry and baked goods stalls, always appreciating a good cookie.

My favorite stop lately has been the Cheese Lady’s stand. There’s a special feeling that comes with strolling the market on a finally warm and sunny mid-morning, and it has now become our treasured spring tradition. Creating and keeping family traditions looks different everywhere you go. For our family, it’s a sunny stroll through a local farmers market on warm weekends. Maybe it’s the weather, finally getting out of the house and doing an outdoor activity after months of stagnation. Maybe it’s the togetherness of it all and the joy of browsing local treasures with the ones you love the most. Or maybe it’s creating those lasting memories, the ones that my daughter will take on to adulthood. One day, maybe she will take her own children to her town’s farmers markets. Just like her mom used to take her.

GUEST COLUMN Win $200 for stories published!

Share your fondest memories and stories. Win $200 for stories published. Visit countrylines.com/community to submit.

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