New cherry alliance aims to give collective voice to cherry farmers

Leisa Eckerle Hankins, the owner of Benjamin Twiggs, has started a new organization called the Michigan Cherry Growers Alliance.

Her family has been growing cherries for five generations, since the 1800s.

She said growers are facing some big challenges right now. The No. 1 challenge is what cherry growers are being paid for their crops, Hankins said.

“That’s the questions the growers don’t understand. I mean, that’s where we’re looking for transparency. We don’t understand because the grower gets 11 cents. You’re seeing things ... being sold $6, $7, $10, $12 a pound. What’s happening in between?” Hankins said.

She said last year farmers saw cherries going for only 11 to 20 cents per pound, but 25 to 30 cents is considered a profitable rate.

And this year looks to be about the same, she said.

Hankins said cherry farmers have a lot of overhead, and those prices have been rising.

“The cost of land, you’ve got equipment, you’ve got fertilizers and sprays and all the things that and employees, I mean, and we know all those things have been affected, too,” said Hankins.

She said the alliance is looking for more transparency in the industry and more power to collectively make changes at the legislative level.

“Transparency will get to accountability. And so, we all understand what our accountability is as growers. What’s the accountability on those major organizations representing the growers and the industry? What expectations do we have from the industry?” said Hankins.

Hankins said there are no simple answers and change won’t happen overnight, but this is a start.

“Bringing the growers together, bringing it to the forefront of what the real issues are and being able to address them little by little, we can make a difference in the industry. We will survive it,” said Hankins.

Warren Call, president & CEO of Traverse City’s chamber of commerce, Traverse Connect, said they are aware of the new alliance and have been trying to support local farmers, advocating for extra funding at the state and federal levels.

Call said if the cherry industry isn’t sustainable, more people will get out, and they want to stop that from happening.

“I think the impact would be detrimental in a number of ways. No. 1, there’s a historical impact, right? We are the cherry capital, and we want to see cherry farming continue to be a valued and vibrant part of our landscape. It’s also an important agricultural economic driver,” said Call.