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MSU Extension’s Nikki Rothwell named Cherry Industry Person of the Year

Nikki Rothwell didn’t grow up with aspirations to be the National Cherry Queen. She was too interested in bugs. Nevertheless, the longtime director and educator at the Michigan State University Extension Office in Leelanau County found herself waving to the crowd as an honored participant in the DTE Energy Foundation Cherry Royale Parade. No tiara, though—instead, “I did get (to wear) a red jacket, like the Masters,” she says with a laugh, as winners of that golf tournament receive a green sport coat. Rothwell was honored as the Cherry Industry Person of the Year at the 2025 National Cherry Festival.

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Saving cherries, saving farms

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Cherries are the calling card of Northern Michigan. They represent our home, just as citrus speaks for Florida, or as lobsters lobby for Maine. Here in the North, orchards define our landscape, U-Picking is a cherished tradition and a slice of pie means “I love you.” But cherry farmers these days face a perfect storm of challenges, from environmental to political. Erratic swings in temperature caused by climate change threaten cherry buds in the spring; cheap foreign imports have undercut prices that U.S. farmers can expect to earn; workers needed to harvest crops have grown scarce due to unaffordable housing prices and restrictive national immigration policies; and the local real estate frenzy has disincentivized growers from staying on their land when they can sell their orchards for millions.

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Navigating the corn maze: Jacob’s Farm champions agritourism

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“Houses are great, but I think this is real pretty,” Jacob’s Farm owner Michael Witkop said as he stood outside the hilltop Orchard View wedding barn and gazed north across their 10-acre corn maze to the red centennial barn, where workers scurried like busy ants to open the restaurant, bar, and outdoor music venue by early June. Beyond the M-72 corridor, which connects his destination to bustling Traverse City, the hills of Leelanau County hovered in the distance like low-hanging clouds. We’re featuring Jacob’s Farm as part of our series on innovative solutions to the farming crisis. On May 7, Witkop addressed 65 attendees of Michigan State University (MSU) Extension’s first-ever Agritourism Summit, which included a tour of local agritourism businesses that have succeeded in bringing customers directly to their farms—thereby forestalling the fate that has forced tens of thousands of small farms across the United States to close in recent decades.

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Leelanau’s newest cherry farmers laud farm diversification

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First generation cherry farmers are an anomaly in Leelanau these days. As far as Sarah and Phil Hallstedt are aware, the Hallstedt Homestead Cherries was the “last in before doors slammed and prices dropped.” They knew most of the challenges involved with cherry farming in the early 2000s, when they began to look for the right piece of property to start their retirement career as farmers, but at the time it did not deter them. They performed a business case with MSU extension, local growers and fruit distributors from around Michigan. As Phil put it, “We felt we had a good business plan, but that was in 2006. We fell in love with the fruit and the community, and we are just stubborn.” Click here to read Abby Chatfield’s story, which appeared in our April 11 print edition.

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Cherry Republic supports local farmers during National Cherry Month

In a significant move to bolster the agricultural community, Cherry Republic announced that during National Cherry Month in February, 2 percent of all sales from its six stores and online will be donated to the Farm Stress Program, supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Michigan farmers. “This February, every purchase at Cherry Republic is not just a tribute to the iconic Michigan cherry, but also a direct support to the heart and soul of our agricultural community — our farmers,” said Sara Harding, vice president of Marketing and Impact at Cherry Republic. The donation to the Farm Stress Program is a cornerstone of Cherry Republic’s campaign to spotlight the importance of mental health among farmers. The program, with MSU Extension, provides free resources including teletherapy, educational presentations, farm financial analysis, and business management strategies, among others.

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Cherry farmers of tomorrow battle pests, cheap imports, climate change

The mean age of our local cherry growers is nearing 60. The future generation of cherry farmers, i.e. those 40 and under, number about a dozen, and the path ahead is not looking clear.

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Leelanau Planning Commission to discuss marijuana regulation

The Leelanau County Planning Commission will hold a session on Wednesday, April 17, about regulations and zoning of marijuana. The guest speaker will be Mary Reilly, AICP, government and public policy educator with Michigan State University Extension.

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MSU Extension holds Water School

Attend Michigan State University (MSU) Extension’s two-day Water School: Essential Resources for Local Officials, Sept. 17-18 from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center on 6686 S. Center Highway. The MSU Extension Water School is a joint project between MSU Extension and Michigan Sea Grant.

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Empire, Glen Arbor Farmers Markets open next month

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Suttons Bay’s farmers market will open Saturday in its new location, at North Park at the intersection of M-204 and M-22. The others lag a bit behind. Empire will open its farmers market on June 18 and remain open on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., until September 10. Glen Arbor will hold its farmers market on Tuesdays, from 9 to 1, from June 21 until August 30.

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