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➡ Below: Cherry farmer John Gallagher (center) with some of his ten children and grandchildren.
A CHERRY FARMER IN LEELANAU COUNTY FIFTH-GENERATION CHERRY FARMER JOHN GALLAGHER HAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE FARMING CHALLENGES OVER THE MANY YEARS HE’S BEEN IN BUSINESS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGES 2020 MAY BE THE TOUGHEST TEST OF ENDURANCE THE LEELANAU COUNTY FARM HAS EVER HAD TO WITHSTAND. At 23, Gallagher purchased a small cherry farm through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), eventually merging it with the family farm when his father passed away seven years later. He has accumulated over 400 acres, including 210 acres of fruit orchards and a thriving agritourism business specializing in scenic, on-site weddings (www.bayviewweddings.com). Overlooking Grand Traverse Bay in the ‘Cherry Capital of the World’, the farm grows sweet and tart cherries on an ideal landscape. The acreage is hilly and wooded; cool air rolls off the bay and over the grounds, producing the perfect fruitnurturing environment. Despite the climate and the area’s astonishing beauty, market fluctuations, foreign imports, brown rot, a shrinking number of cherry processors and the coronavirus pandemic have negatively impacted Gallagher’s season and Michigan’s cherry industry as a whole. But Gallagher’s not complaining – he’s taking action. “COVID-19 restrictions have affected our farm workers and our wedding business,” says John. “My son, John III and daughter-inlaw Rose, have done a great job of creating venues for elopement ceremonies and small-sized weddings. We’re adapting to the pandemic. Our biggest, ongoing challenge is
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with market pricing and the lack of legislative protection from ‘cherry dumping’ from Turkey. “Cherry growers in the USA cannot compete with world trade that is subsidized and has currency that’s worth 10 cents to our dollar,” he adds. “I work to keep my trees healthy and keep the fruit safe. But when you’re growing cherries below cost, and you’re paying a processor to take your fruit – that’s not sustainable. My father, my grandfather, neither of them went through this, and without legislation I don’t know how we, as growers in a tiny industry, are going to solve the issue.” Growing advocacy John and his family have stepped up to become
involved with legislative matters affecting fruit growers at the state and federal levels. As a Cherry Industry Administrative Board (CIAB) member, he feels strongly that the American public deserves to understand their food supply chain, and where their food originates. Two of John’s sons, John III and Jordan, are actively working to spotlight the effects of unrestricted imports on what, four years ago, was Michigan’s third largest crop. In addition to his legislative advocacy, John proactively purchased Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) from GreenStone Farm Credit Services to protect his orchards from an unstable market. The insurance has given him time to grapple with current market factors and has effectively saved his operation.
