You might not hear “Wisconsin” and think, “Ah, yes, famous for cherries!” But locals know: The state’s peninsular thumb, Door County, is perfect for the fruit tree, thanks to the stabilizing temperatures of Lake Michigan and well-drained, rocky soil.
After apple orchardists first planted cherries in 1896, Anders Seaquist decided to give them a try and purchased 700 trees. It was a good bet: More than a century and five generations later, Seaquist Orchards has grown to 1,300 acres of tart cherry trees, which produce around 12 million pounds of the fruit each year—often the vast majority of Wisconsin’s annual harvest. You can buy fresh cherries or pick your own during the harvest, from mid-July to mid-August. The orchard’s retail store and scratch bakery have become a Door County destination, selling 80 kinds of jam, jelly, salsa, pie filling, and, most notably, cherry pies—14,000 each year, and growing.
