October 2023 Cherryland

You may not realize it, but your home is sitting on a free and renewable supply of energy. A WaterFurnace geothermal comfort system taps into the stored solar energy in your own backyard to provide savings of up to 70% on heating, cooling and hot water. That’s money in the bank and a smart investment in your family’s comfort. Contact your local WaterFurnace dealer today to learn how to tap into your buried treasure.

Allendale

Allendale Htg & Clg (800)327-1937

allendaleheating.com

Bad Axe/Ubly

Cutting Edge Htg & Clg (989)551-0986

Berrien Springs

Waterfurnace Michiana (269)473-5667 gogreenmichgeo thermal.com

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

Clifford Orton Refrig & Htg (989)761-7691

sanduskygeothermal.com

Hart Adams Htg & Clg (231)873-2665 adamsheating cooling.com

Indian River

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

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

Lowell Arctic Inc. Htg. & Clg. (616)897-4213 heatingcoolingonline.com

Mancelona Top Notch Htg, Clg, & Geothermal (231)350-8052 Topnotchheatandair.com

Michigan Center Comfort 1/Air Serv of Southern Michigan (517)764-1500 airserv.com/southernmichigan/

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

Muskegon Adams Htg & Clg (231)873-2665 adamsheatingcooling.co

Portland ESI Htg & Clg (517)647-6906 esiheating.com

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

Traverse City D&W Mechanical (231)941-1251 dwmechanical.com

Geofurnace Htg & Clg (231)943-1000 geofurnace.com

and it isn’t just corn.

YOUR LOCAL WATERFURNACE DEALERS

Michigan’s Electric Cooperatives

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Casey Clark

EDITOR: Christine Dorr

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Karreen Bird

RECIPE EDITOR: Christin McKamey

COPY EDITOR: Yvette Pecha

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Emily Haines Lloyd

PUBLISHER: Michigan Electric Cooperative Association

Michigan Country Lines, USPS-591-710, 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.

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: Tom Sobeck, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, chairman; Gabe Schneider, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, vice chairman; Chris O’Neill, HomeWorks TriCounty Cooperative, secretary-treasurer; Craig Borr, president and CEO.

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

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.

6 FROM TRAVERSE CITY TO TIME MAGAZINE Andrea Kritcher named among 100 most

10 MI COOP KITCHEN Pumpkin: seasonal goodies that go way beyond pie.

14 SMALL-TOWN INNOVATION YIELDS BIG RESULTS AT GLEN OAKS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Fish manure was the impetus for a partnership between a Glen Oaks grad and his instructor.

18 GUEST COLUMN Sunken Treasure: A Great Lakes Energy member recalls how he made a mysterious barge even more intriguing.

MI Co-op Community

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

Instagram Contest

Use #micoopcommunity for a chance to be featured here and on our Instagram account. Win $100 for photos published!

Recipe Contest

Vegetarian due Nov. 1; Best Layer Cakes due Dec. 1; Soups & Stews due Jan. 1

Win a $100 bill credit!

Guest Column

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

cherrylandelectric.coop

/cherrylandelectriccoop @cherrylandec

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Schweitzer, President 231-883-5860

dschweitzer@cherrylandelectric.coop

Gabe Schneider, Senior Vice President

517-449-6453

gschneider@cherrylandelectric.coop

Valarie Handy, Secretary 231-392-4705 vhandy@cherrylandelectric.coop

Tom Van Pelt, Treasurer 231-386-5234

tvanpelt@cherrylandelectric.coop

Melinda Lautner, Director 231-947-2509

mlautner@cherrylandelectric.coop

Terry Lautner, Director 231-946-4623

tlautner@cherrylandelectric.coop

Dean Adams, Director 231-642-0014 dadams@cherrylandelectric.coop

CEO: Rachel Johnson

Co-op Editors: Courtney Doyle: cdoyle@cherrylandelectric.coop

OFFICE HOURS

Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.– 4 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.

Cherryland and Wolverine Power Cooperative Commit to Nuclear Power

By Rachel Johnson, Cherryland CEO

Have you ever hopped on a stool only to realize that one of the legs is too short? We’ve all had that wobbly feeling at least once. It’s an uneasy feeling.

When it comes to power supply, our job is a bit like keeping a three-legged stool steady. We must balance the need for electric reliability, affordability, and managing environmental impact. When we fail to find that balance, we’re on a wobbly stool. And, unfortunately, that’s often where we find ourselves in Michigan today.

Michigan continues to rapidly retire the workhorses of our always-available electric generating fleet—coal, nuclear, and natural gas plants. We are replacing those plants with renewable resources, but they produce power intermittently and the pace at which we are building them cannot keep up with the need in our state. The reliability leg of our stool is pretty short.

We also face incredible volatility in the power supply markets due to both shrinking supply and increasing exposure to volatile natural gas prices. We’ve seen this price volatility across the U.S., with market prices ranging from almost negative to over $2,000/MWh in the last few years. The affordability leg of our stool is pretty unpredictable.

That’s why I’m pleased to share with you that our power supplier, Wolverine Power Cooperative, has entered into an agreement with Holtec International to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in southwest Michigan. Holtec will own and operate the plant; we have committed to purchasing a majority of the output of that plant on behalf of our members.

Adding this nuclear power into our power supply portfolio will shore up the three legs of our stool:

1. Electric Reliability

Today, Michigan is dependent on importing power from outside the state

88% of the time. When up and running, Palisades will provide enough energy to power 800,000 Michigan homes. Palisades is not only important to our co-op, but also crucial to electric reliability in Michigan.

2. Cost Stability

In an era of increasing price volatility, this power purchase agreement allows us to lock in stable and predictable pricing. In 2022, market energy prices were double the historic average. Without long-term power supply contracts, those market rates could have increased the average Cherryland member’s bill by $40/month. The commitment to Palisades secures future price stability and competitive rates for decades to come.

3. Decarbonization

We are already a leader in Michigan, powering our members with over 60% carbon-free energy today. Once Palisades resumes operation, there is the potential for us to significantly increase our carbon-free energy supply. Our commitment to Palisades represents the foundation of our continued leadership in carbon-free energy.

Palisades offers us a unique opportunity to improve the reliability of Michigan’s grid, protect the affordability of members’ bills, and continue our efforts to lower the carbon emissions impact of our portfolio.

By committing to Palisades, we are keeping your stool stable. That’s our job— keep the lights on for you, keep your rates affordable, and keep pursuing the energy we need to serve you into the future.

Want to learn more?

Check out the latest episode of Co-op Energy Talk.

How Much Energy Does Palisades Produce?

Palisades

6,500,000 megawatt hours of carbon-free power or 6% of Michigan’s energy

Enough power for 800,000 homes

Equal to 9.8 million solar panels and 618 wind turbines

“Basically, you are creating fusion reactions as you smash hydrogen isotopes together. It’s the same process that powers the sun. So, we’re making mini suns in our lab. Actually, we reach conditions hotter than the sun.”

Lead designer Andrea Kritcher (right) and lead experimentalist Alex Zylstra standing in front of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) target chamber where the fusion experiments are performed, holding an encased target.

From Traverse City to Time Magazine Andrea Kritcher Named Among 100 Most Influential People

By Emily Haines Lloyd

When you think of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, you imagine seeing celebrities like Beyoncé, titans of industry like Elon Musk, and world leaders like Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska gracing the pages. But under the “Innovators” section of the 2023 issue, Traverse City residents might see a familiar face and name—Andrea Kritcher.

ritcher, who grew up in Traverse City as a Cherryland Electric Cooperative member, is a nuclear engineer and physicist who works at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. She also just happens to be a worldclass scientist who was the principal designer in a breakthrough experiment that produced fusion ignition in a laboratory for the first time.

Igniting Big Ideas

Scientists fired 192 lasers at a target the size of a pencil eraser in the experiment, achieving “energy breakeven,” which means it produced more energy than was imparted to the target. The first-of-its-kind breakthrough is considered a major step toward a net-zero carbon future.

“Basically, you are creating fusion reactions as you smash hydrogen isotopes together,” said Kritcher. “It’s the same process that powers the sun. So, we’re making mini suns in our lab. Actually, we reach conditions hotter than the sun.”

How Hot?

You read that right—hotter than the sun. The implications of this discovery are massive and will likely result in many applications. Kritcher says that pilot plants for fusion energy are approximately 10–20 years away. Zero-emission energy projects take time to develop, build, and meet rigorous standards, but the end goal is for zero-emission energy plants to not only help alleviate our dependence on carbon-based energy sources, but to take us closer to a carbon-free power grid. As someone who grew up in Traverse City and enjoyed

nature deeply, this is an important prospect for Kritcher.

“I loved growing up in Traverse City and I got a lot of support from my family along the way,” said Kritcher. “It was a really great place to grow up and enjoy being outside and on the lake. It’s pretty idyllic.”

Small Town to Big Time

This small-town math and science student likely couldn’t have imagined that a career in physics would have led to so much time talking to the press.

Of course, that all changed with her December 2022 fusion experiment. Kritcher was suddenly getting calls for all sorts of interviews. When someone from the lab’s public relations department asked if she could do an interview with Time Magazine, Kritcher wasn’t fazed.

“We were just talking when he asked me to hold for a second. He asked me if I knew they were considering me for the award,” Kritcher said. “Then he said, ‘We just got word—you’re one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People.’ It was so surreal. Can you really be prepared to hear something like that?”

Influencing the Future

Kritcher understands that this success for her is really about the decades of passionate research from hundreds of scientists, engineers, and technicians that made the fusion breakthrough possible. Her hard work reflects that reverence, and she’s proud to be a woman in a field that is still dominated by men.

“Women are still underrepresented in physics, but I belong in this field as much as anyone,” said Kritcher. “Physics doesn’t have a gender. It just asks you to follow your curiosity and solve the problems most interesting to you.”

That sounds like a pretty good plug for future generations of scientists who will continue in her innovative footsteps.

CO-OP NEWS

Cherryland Offers Optional Timeof-Use Rate Starting Oct. 1

Starting Oct. 1, members can start taking advantage of Cherryland’s optional Time-of-Use (TOU) rate. Members who opt-in to this rate will enjoy lower energy costs during offpeak energy use windows, when fewer people need electricity. When energy needs increase during the afternoon and evening, the cost follows suit.

On-peak energy use windows change seasonally. The summer peak window lasts from 2–6 p.m., starting on May 1 and ending on Sept. 30. The winter peak window lasts from 5–9 p.m., starting on Oct. 1 and ending on April 30.

For more information on the TOU rate, visit our website at cherrylandelectric.coop/time-of-use.

Members Support Local Nonprofits Through Cherryland Cares

Cherryland Cares distributes funds to local nonprofit organizations in need of financial support. The funds distributed by Cherryland Cares come from generous members electing to round up their monthly bills to the nearest dollar. Members can contribute to the Cherryland Cares fund by calling 231-486-9200, signing up through SmartHub, or emailing cec@cherrylandelectric.coop. If you are an area nonprofit agency seeking financial help, please contact Dawn Garrock at 231-486-9234 or email dgarrock@cherrylandelectric.coop. The deadline for fourth-quarter applications is Friday, Dec. 1.

October Is National Cooperative Month

Cherryland is one of over 900 electric cooperatives powering over 20 million American homes, businesses, farms, and schools in 48 states. Thank you to all the co-op members and employees that keep Cherryland and the cooperative tradition alive and well.

Cherryland Buys And Donates Two Pigs From Members At The Northwestern Michigan Fair

In August, the co-op purchased two pigs at the Northwestern Michigan Fair 4-H livestock auction. Cherryland member Aiden Harrand, daughter of David and Jessica Harrand, and Parker Witzke, son of Jarrod and Amy Witzke, sold their pigs to Cherryland. The pigs were donated to Goodwill’s Food Rescue. Congrats to all on pigs well raised!

In addition to attending the livestock auction, Cherryland sponsored the pancake breakfast and Kids’ and Special Kids’ Day. Cherryland employees and board members volunteered by flipping flapjacks at the pancake breakfast and playing games for prizes with our youngest members!

ELECTRICAL SAFETY TIPS FOR HUNTERS

This hunting season, we encourage all members to be aware of electrical equipment and take necessary precautions while hunting. Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy the great outdoors.

Take notice of posted warning signs and keep clear of electrical equipment. 1

Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulators. 2

Know where power lines and equipment are located on the land where you hunt. 3

Be especially careful in wooded areas where power lines may not be as visible. 4

5

Do not place deer stands on utility poles or climb poles. Energized lines and equipment can conduct electricity to anyone who comes in contact with them, causing shock or electrocution.

Do not place decoys on power lines or other utility equipment. Any nonelectrical equipment attached to a pole can pose an obstruction and serious hazard to our line crews. 6

PUMPKIN

Seasonal goodies that go way beyond pie

WINNING RECIPE!

STREUSEL PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Connie Pietila, Ontonagon County REA

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

²⁄ ³ cup canned pumpkin puree

½ cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ –1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping

¹⁄ ³ cup flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter

Recipe Contest

Win a $100 energy bill credit!

Vegetarian due Nov. 1; Best Layer Cakes due Dec. 1; Soups & Stews due Jan. 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

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and orange zest until blended. In a second bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture just until blended. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. For topping, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. This fall breakfast favorite is perfect with a hot cup of coffee or spiced chai tea.

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

PUMPKIN CUSTARD

Janet Weber, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op

¼ cup brown sugar

1½ tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ (15-ounce) can pumpkin

¾ cup milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour into three or four custard cups or oven-safe bowls. Place in baking pan and pour very hot water around the custard cups to about 1 inch high. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream!

PUMPKIN DIP

Leslie Buerkle, Thumb Electric

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

2½ teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 (8-ounce) tub Cool Whip, thawed

Using a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger; beat until combined. Fold in the Cool Whip until thoroughly combined. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with ginger snaps.

CHARLIE BROWN GREAT PUMPKIN COOKIES

Leslie Brasure, Alger Delta

PUMPKIN CHIP MUFFINS

Joyce

4 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1½ cups (3 sticks) butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

12 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda,

cinnamon, and salt. In another large bowl, cream the butter. Then gradually add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin to the bowl of wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough

¼ cup at a time onto lightly greased cookie sheet (using a large cookie scoop or two spoons). Bake 20–25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet; let cool on racks. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

4 eggs

1½ cups sugar

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

½ cup orange juice

3 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour)

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, and orange juice until smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups threequarters full. Bake for 16–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Makes about 24 standard-size muffins.

Tamminga, Great Lakes Energy

BETTER TOGETHER

How Left Foot Charley Is Expanding And Helping Other Wineries Do The Same

By Courtney Doyle

Everyone has a unique story with unique beginnings that often shape the fundamental values they hold close. It’s no different for local winery Left Foot Charley. Their beginning is rooted in northern Michigan, taking the grapes from several small farms and making something miraculous.

Winemaker and owner of Left Foot Charley, Bryan Ulbrich, quickly discovered the value of purchasing small-batch harvests from farmers who were able to spend more time tending to the individual needs of each different grape varietal. More than a dozen farms up and down the Old Mission Peninsula partner with Left Foot Charley to have their harvests turned into red and white wines, hard ciders, and a bit of bubbly. “We function a little bit like a cooperative,” Ulbrich explained.

They operate on a “better together” mentality—with farmers staying focused on their harvest and vintners focused on making the wine. As Left Foot Charley grew, so did their opportunities. They began expanding to help other wineries by providing a space to process their wines, allowing them to maintain that peaceful, romantic experience visitors expect while enjoying a tasting room that overlooks the vines.

Now, Ulbrich is embarking on a new endeavor with a little help from Cherryland and a USDA pass-through loan. “We’ve grown; our building located at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons has not. There’s a limit on how much we can do,” explained Ulbrich. “We’ve reached a point where we just had to say no, we couldn’t make any more wine for people, and yet there are still more farms that want to have this kind of relationship. So, I looked at what the possibilities were for us to expand that offering.”

The name Left Foot Charley comes from winemaker and owner Bryan Ulbrich’s childhood nickname.

To make that expansion a reality, Ulbrich needed a whole lot more space. Like a potato chip factory’s worth of space. With a $1.6 million price tag to purchase, renovate, and outfit the new space, he was going to need some help. That’s where Cherryland comes in. There is funding earmarked in the Farm Bill for rural economic development through the USDA. That funding must be distributed with help from an electric cooperative.

Ulbrich and his team put together a detailed plan and approached the Cherryland board with a proposal to pursue the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program’s pass-through loan application. The board liked his plan and agreed to move forward. They applied and the USDA approved a $1.3 million loan. This federal funding will all be invested in our community to promote growth, create jobs, and support a wide range of local industries.

Now, Left Foot Charley begins the process of turning a former potato chip factory on Cherryland lines into a winemaking facility that will benefit dozens of local farms and wineries. “We had to gut the inside of the building. We’ve taken down the walls and are reinsulating. We’re redoing the floors, because once you have your heavy tanks on top of that floor, you really don’t ever want to redo it,” Ulbrich explained. “We’re hoping to move in over the course of the winter and process our 20th harvest in the new location.”

If you’re a long-time fan of Left Foot Charley and their current operation, don’t fret. This new facility will be strictly dedicated to processing and making wine. Ulbrich

said, “We are maintaining our presence in The Village and keeping what we’ve started there and trying to help grow that as well. We want to keep the project going at The Commons because that has been a long, beautiful investment in terms of seeing that place grow and where we sit within it.”

For more than 20 years, Left Foot Charley has been working with farms and wineries to combine forces and be better together. In 1938, Cherryland was built by a community that leaned into the idea that we are all better when we work together. That’s why Cherryland is proud to work with partners, like Left Foot Charley, to lock down federal funding that creates opportunities to make our community better, together.

We talk all about Cherryland’s Rural Economic Development Loans and the Left Foot Charley project on our podcast, Co-op Energy Talk! Scan the QR code to learn more.

SMALL-TOWN INNOVATION AT GLEN OAKS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

By Grant Zamora

FISH POOP: Crops love it. Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville is at the heart of an agricultural innovation that prepares students for a lifetime of employment while also experimenting with what could be a game changer for crop yields: Fish Sh!t, an unusual, beneficial bacteria created by Fish Head Farms.

A SMALL COLLEGE AHEAD OF THE CURVE

The Agricultural Equipment Technology program at Glen Oaks Community College, taught by Reid Leaverton, is the only agricultural equipment repair program offered at a community college in Michigan. Classes take place at Burnips Equipment in Three Rivers, where students get real-world experience working on equipment that gets brought into the shop. In exchange, if Burnips decides to hire a student, Glen Oaks will pay for the student’s tuition as long as they’re employed by Burnips for the duration of the program.

The program got its start in 2017, when Glen Oaks President David Devier saw the need for trained repair

technicians in the largely agricultural St. Joseph County. Rather than wait for other colleges to train new employees, Glen Oaks led the charge in creating a program that could bring new talent to the area. Upon completion of the program, students are placed into equipment dealers or large farms through relationships Glen Oaks has with industry partners like Burnips, New Holland Agriculture, and local John Deere and Bobcat dealers. As of this year, 24 students have accepted jobs at local dealerships upon completing the program.

Students can take two routes through the program. One is a traditional degree route that grants an Associate of Applied Science in agricultural equipment technology. The other is a certificate route, which eliminates the need for general education classes and a high school diploma.

“[If] they have an interest in agricultural equipment, they can come to Glen Oaks and learn how to work on it,” Leaverton says.

Collin Dussel is a program graduate whose family owns Dussel’s Farm Market & Greenhouses in Cassopolis.

Collin Dussel prepares Fish Sh!t to use on crops.

Dussel, who originally brought Fish Sh!t to Leaverton’s attention, says the hands-on nature of the program was key to the learning process.

“We were in a real-world shop learning what other mechanics do,” Dussel says. “It wasn’t something we just tore apart that someone else tore apart before you. We were diagnosing real farmers’ equipment and trying to figure out the problem.”

LOCAL MARKET, CUTTING-EDGE TECH

The program goes beyond teaching students to repair equipment. It gives them problem-solving skills and the ability to innovate. Dussel took these skills and applied them to growing and improving his family’s farm using new and innovative products like Fish Sh!t.

After graduating from the program, Dussel took over his grandfather’s farm and began looking into alternative fertilizers, all the while keeping in touch with Leaverton, who would help him with larger projects on a friendly basis. In addition to running the farm, Dussel and his brother Nick founded Soil Production Solutions,

a company that helps farmers with their soil treatment plans. During their search for clean, efficient fertilizers, the brothers’ father Mark (who runs the store in Cassopolis) connected them with a promising lead: Fish Sh!t.

Fish Sh!t is an organic, living beneficial bacteria. It was created by Dave Barr, a high school biology teacher, and Tommy Fox, a medical caregiver, who founded Fish Head Farms. Fish Sh!t is derived from fi sh manure treated in an aquaponic system, which separates the beneficial bacteria from the waste. It has fewer synthetic chemicals than other fertilizers, which lends itself to creating a beneficial biosphere for plant growth, according to Leaverton. If a plant has to break down fewer synthetic chemicals and more organic material, the plant doesn’t have to work as hard to take in nutrients, allowing better growth and a higher crop yield.

SMALL-TOWN INNOVATORS JOIN FORCES

The Dussels first tested Fish Sh!t on their mom’s houseplants, with encouraging results. They then partnered with Leaverton to test it at

Glen Oaks, starting with soil samples and expanding to larger areas. When testing the product on corn, they found about a 26% increase in root mass and a yield increase of about a bushel per harvest.

Leaverton and the Dussels have used Fish Sh!t to revitalize a previously barren plot of land at Glen Oaks, now a field with healthy soil. Students in Leaverton’s program use the field to grow crops, which they then test the agricultural equipment on.

“What we’re doing is basically just making our plants and our soil happier from year to year to year,” Leaverton says.

The Dussels have also started selling smaller quantities of the product for home use at their store in Cassopolis.

Glen Oaks and the Dussels are living proof that you don’t always have to look to large, expensive universities to find promising new products and one-of-a-kind educational programs. Sometimes, small-town innovation can yield big results.

The Agricultural Equipment Technology program gives students state-of-the-art, hands-on training over the course of two years. Space is limited—each class can accommodate 20 students. To learn more and sign up, visit GlenOaks.edu and go to Academics > Programs of Study > Agriculture > Agricultural Equipment Technology.

To learn more about Dussel’s Farm Market, visit DusselsFarmMarketAndGreenhouses.com.

Your Board

In Action

August Board Meeting

• The board received an update from Wolverine Power Cooperative CEO Eric Baker on the status of several power supply contracts set to expire in the next five to ten years and the long-term power supply opportunities they’re pursuing to fill their place.

• The board approved a three-year contract with Cherryland’s employees that are represented by a collective bargaining unit.

• Cherryland’s communications and member relations manager updated the board on the process to enroll residential members in the cooperative’s new optional time-of-use rate going into effect in October.

Members have the opportunity to provide input to the board prior to any regularly scheduled board meeting. To have your comments included in a monthly board packet for review, please submit them to Board Assistant Secretary Dawn Garrock at dgarrock@ cherrylandelectric.coop.

SPOOKY ENERGY SAVINGS

By Abby Berry

This spooky season, we’re sharing a few energy-saving tricks so you can treat yourself to lower energy bills. Here are four simple ways to summon the spirit of energy efficiency.

CONJURE INSTANT SAVINGS WITH A SMART THERMOSTAT.

One of the easiest ways to save energy is through thermostat control, since home heating and cooling account for a large portion of monthly energy use. Smart thermostats can help you manage heating and cooling costs by learning your daily routine and adjusting the temperature settings accordingly. You can control a smart thermostat from anywhere (through your smart phone), which allows you to prevent unnecessary energy consumption while you’re away. Sorcery!

GET RID OF GOOSEBUMPS BY ELIMINATING GHOSTLY DRAFTS.

The winter chill is just around the corner, so now is the time to seal air

leaks around your home. Apply caulk and weatherstripping around drafty windows and doors to make your home more comfortable and lower energy use.

ILLUMINATE YOUR LAIR WITH ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTING.

LED bulbs use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. Make the switch to reduce energy used for lighting. Remember to use LEDs when it’s time to decorate for the upcoming holiday season. LED light strings offer an average of 88% energy savings compared to traditional incandescent light strings.

STIR UP SAVINGS WITH COUNTERTOP CAULDRONS.

Cooler weather summons our favorite soup recipes. Small countertop appliances like slow cookers use less energy than cooking meals on the stovetop. Grab your book of spells (or recipes) and start stirring up savings in the kitchen.

Stay in the loop with updates from the cooperative’s monthly board meetings. Scan here for the most recent Board Meeting Brief Podcast

When we look around our homes, there are many opportunities to save energy. So this spooky season, investigate your space and unlock a different kind of magic—the kind that brings real energy savings.

Everything Fall

Enter to win a $200 energy bill credit!

Submit Your “Great Outdoors” Photos By Oct. 20!

Submit your best photo and encourage your friends to vote! The photo receiving the most votes in our Facebook contest will be printed in an issue of Country Lines, along with some of our other favorites. Our October theme is the Great Outdoors! Photos can be submitted through Oct. 20 to be featured in our January 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 2024, you will be entered to win a credit of up to $200 on your December 2024 bill.

MOST VOTES

1. “The beginning of the end!”— Maria Klimaszewski

2. “The pick of the patch.”—Jenny Graber

3. “Playing in the leaves.”—Ryan Ruskowski

4. “Grandpa’s pumpkins.”—Nanette Merica

5. “Searching for treats!”—Lori Sanderson

6. “Don’t forget to look up!”—Kaitlyn Rickman

“To this day, as my children are now grown adults, we still go over that barge and fondly recall those memories of sunken treasure on Lake Charlevoix.”

Sunken Treasure

By Bob Wilson, a Great Lakes Energy Cooperative member

My family has owned a summer cottage on Lake Charlevoix since 1941, and just down the beach from where our cottage is located, there is an old barge on the lake bottom that wrecked in a storm in the early 1920s.

That barge has been visible for many years and was a source of mystery for my children as they were growing up. I used to take our small rowboat over the barge and we would talk about the chance that there might be sunken treasure down below.

Thinking about how I might add to their fascination with the barge, I found a few trinkets in the old shed next to our cottage and shined them up a bit, and then went out in my kayak and dove down on the barge and placed these trinkets along different parts of the wrecked hull.

Several days later, I took my kids out over the barge in our rowboat, and of course had my fins and snorkel and diving mask with me, and I told them that I was going to dive down and see if I could find any sunken treasure.

I went down on the wreck and, lo and behold, I pulled up the trinkets that I had placed there earlier. I was able to hand

them each their own trinket of sunken treasure from the wreck. They each were so excited to see real treasure from the same wreck that they had watched over the years.

To this day, as my children are now grown adults, we still go over that barge and fondly recall those memories of sunken treasure on Lake Charlevoix.

Bob Wilson spent 28 years working as senior counsel in the Michigan Senate Natural Resources Committee and has taught environmental law and policy at Michigan State University since 1999. His family has owned a summer cottage on Lake Charlevoix since 1941. Bob’s wife Cathy is head of governmental affairs for Consumers Energy, and his four children are Sarah, Aaron, Daniel, and Bobby.

Guest Column

Win $200 for stories published!

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

Electric cooperatives are joining co-ops across the U.S. to celebrate National Co-op Month. As your local electric co-op, our services are shaped to meet your specific needs. We love growing with you, the members we are proud to serve.