In regards to cherries…

SWEET CHERRIES WILL BE IN TOMORROW!

Come hungry, and come often! You are so welcome at Seaquist’s!

CHERRIES ARE HERE!! SWEET CHERRIES ARE SOON TO FOLLOW!

Samples will convince you that we’ve got some of the best cherries around! Please come and try them for yourself!

Mechanical harvesting will begin late July, so fresh cherries will be available through mid-August, possibly even through late August.

4th of July is just around the corner, and Olde Ellison Bay Days is in full swing today through Sunday. As you head north to join in the festivities, be sure to visit the local parks, galleries and farm markets. A few of my favorite spots include: the Ellison Bay Bluff Co-Park, Gallery 10 and, of course, our farm market!

On another note…
Here is the retelling of the 1,082 pie day, as remembered by Head Baker, Laura Seaquist…

(Before I begin, there are 2 very important things to remember. First, Mom (Kristin Seaquist, store manager and courageous leader) was completely unaware of what her next pie day would be like. Through very strategic and sneaky means, the pie day preparations were made without her knowledge. A victory in itself! Secondly, long ago a promise was made to those of us on the pie crew. The promise was that if 1,000 pies were made, all those who helped create those 1,000 pies would be taken on a “cruise.” Well, little did Mom know that we would reach that goal and pass it!)

Well, the story goes like this…
Days before the pie day, in-depth planning occurred. Planning beyond all planning! Bakers Heather Moore, Joy Kjell, and Laura Seaquist were the primary culprits and masterminds. The preparation included storing large buckets of 3-berry and cherry filling and large bins of pie dough in the cooler, right under Mom’s nose. (I helped with the dough making portion, and I remember seeing dough stuffed into bins under the counter and then casually brought into the cooler. So exciting!) Because the pies that are made need to be put directly into the freezer, figuring out how much freezer space and the number of racks we would need were other parts of the preparation. As each new season rolls around the corner, pie calculations for the months of June and July are made, so that was another dimension of the planning process! Those women worked long and hard to bring everything together!

Well, the pie day came and our anxious anticipation was met with excitement! Each person on the pie crew was ready to work long and hard for the 1,000 pies goal (with the exception of Mom). So, we worked and worked, laughed and enjoyed each other as we always do and eventually break time came. Being a beautiful day, we all went outside. We had our usual snack (extra dough scraps with dollops of filling and frosting) and a cake Laura had made, which said, “Gotcha Mom! When are we going?” Mom was surprised and enjoyed the moment with the pie crew and a few of her good friends, Mike and Kay, nearby. Well, after break, we got back down to work. Nothing seemed to slow us down! Little did we know…

Around noon, the power went out for about 1 1/2 hours!  We made some pies in the dark, struggling through…but at this point, a few of our pie crew members had to leave! With the combination of an electrical storm, a loss of crew members, and a high goal, the day was comical and an adventure. But, our goal was reached! By about 5:30 pm, we reached our record-setting number: 1,082 pies!

And as a result, Mom surprised us with an actual invitation to go on a Caribbean cruise!! Pictures and details to come…

the largest guy of the bunch!

The Dale Seaquist household has always been quite the group!  Four weeks ago, Mom’s cat, Barbie, had 5 kittens.  With a mini-zoo of 3 miniature horses, 2 barn cats, and 2 dogs, we’re not sure holding on to 5 kittens is possible. (Although, we would keep them if we could!)  Please call Seaquist Orchards Farm Market at (920)-854-4199 or stop by the farm to see the pictures of the kittens.  We hate to let them go, but would love if you have a home for one or two of them.  Each one is very amiable and just plain cute!

And to come…the retelling of the pie day that led up to a pie cruise…1,082 pies made, in the middle of an electrical storm! And! Photographs and clips of the pie assemblers and pie days in action!

Being a family operation, I hope to give you a glimpse of each aspect of the farm…to see my brother, Zach, manning the machine shed…my sister Laura, elbows deep in pie filling as head baker…my other brother, Jim, keeping order at the plant…Each family member and employee works to the best of their ability; you’ll see and hear all about it from me! Ever since I was about 3, I’ve been running around the farm, watching Mom and Dad work hard. Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve found myself in the bakery, fudge kitchen, office, at the front desks, even occasionally out in the orchard…so I’ve seen it all and hope to bring the market alive to you via this blog!