9 Bean Rows, an innovative agritourism champion

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

Part of our series on agritourism and solutions to the farming crisis.

Farming is tough, and the margins are small. The same is true for grocery stores and for restaurants. So, of course, Jen and Nic Welty decided to combine all three.

They say it’s worth all the work, and judging by the crowds at their farm/café/retail bakery, so too do those enjoying the fruits of their labors. “It’s been pandemonium. We’re taking the winter to regroup,” says Jen.

The latest iteration of 9 Bean Rows includes indoor seating as well as the outdoor pizza oven and outdoor seating. Lines for the bread and pastries frequently extend out the door, while diners navigate the ordering process through QR codes at their tables. Sometimes less successfully than others. “We want to get better internet. Our online ordering is slow,” she admits.

The farm produces numerous crops, including greens and root vegetables (giant pumpkins are Nic’s specialty), and in peak season, a large variety of fruits and vegetables. The farm not only supplies the onsite farm market, but 9 Bean Rows is present at a number of other farm markets. It’s part of a CSA through MI Farm Coop, and sells to schools and other restaurants and markets. “Nobo Mrkt, Edson Farms—our biggest customer is Oryana,” says Jen.

It’s all about working to supply the needs of all those who want good, healthy food. “9 Bean Rows cultivates food, not commodities,” it says online. That mission includes those who sometimes cannot afford to purchase the best quality food. “This region has two populations,” says Jen: Those who are well off, and those she calls “hard-working blue-collar people” who have to stretch their dollars. They realize that the cost of their products can be out of reach for those struggling financially, and contribute food to organizations such as Food Rescue, Leelanau Christian Neighbors. “Last year we donated $120,000 retail value of baked goods,” says Nic.

According to the National Agricultural Law Center, agritourism combines the essential elements of the tourism and agriculture industries; attracts members of the public to visit agricultural operations; is designed to increase farm income; and provides recreation, entertainment, and/or educational experiences to visitors.

9 Bean Rows qualifies on many counts. So much so that Nic was one of the speakers at the agritourism summit in May put on by Michigan State University Extension. It showcased a number of local agritourism businesses that are working to bring customers to the farm in an effort to diversify and increase their income and educate people about where their food comes from and how it is produced.

Which in the case of 9 Bean Rows includes a year-round schedule of farming, with the use of unheated hoop houses growing cold-weather crops such as lettuces, kale and other leafy greens. “I believe the quality of winter greens is better,” says Nic, pointing to the increased sweetness of the spinach, carrots and red lettuce.

Over the years, the Weltys have utilized numerous methods of augmenting their farm income. They’ve worked with CSAs, opened an outlet for their baked goods in Traverse City, and run a restaurant in Suttons Bay, all while farming disparate plots of land in Suttons Bay, Omena and elsewhere in the county.

They found the best way to capitalize on their skills and experience was to centralize everything, which they were able to do when they purchased the farm property of Greg and Linda Mikowski in 2014. “They were interested in getting out of farming,” says Jen. That provided an opportunity for the Weltys to finally combine their operations at one site.

Not that it’s been static since then. The two have continually sought to provide options for consumers, expanding their line of baked goods, offering sandwiches, and renovating the facility to provide both indoor and outdoor options. “We had purchased a pizza oven for Suttons Bay in 2013,” says Jen. But it couldn’t be used in that location due to regulations around venting, so it sat in a storage unit until 2019.

These days they work to keep up with demand at the farm just outside Suttons Bay. But they still find there are many who are unaware of what 9 Bean Rows is or even that it exists, even after 15 years. When people ask them where they work or what they do and they say they run 9 Bean Rows, Jen says there are two typical reactions. “They say, ‘I love you!’ or I get a blank stare. There are a lot of people who don’t know, both tourists and locals.”