Indivisible 250: Southwest Michigan fruit farming as American as it gets

COLOMA, Mich. -- Fruit farmer Jon Jollay has been jaunting through the fields at Jollay Orchards since he was a little kid. However, he’s only been the face of the business for one season.

“There are definitely some days where I think I'm a little crazy for, for doing this as a 23-year-old,” Jollay admitted.

“I just feel very lucky and very proud to do something that my family has done for a very long time.

How long, you might ask? You can measure Jollay’s cherry trees in centuries.

Sweet hauls of fresh cherries and blueberries are part of the 170th happy harvest at Jollay Orchards.

“It’s almost unbelievable. From peaches to apples to cherries, our family has been part of it through the ages,” Jollay said.

It all started at the original barn in 1857. The telephone was still around 20 years away from being invented.

What started out as just a barn has blossomed to 400 acres of orchards in eight generations. 

“It's a beautiful place to live and to be able to work every day, Jollay said. “To be able to share that with other people that are looking for fresh produce and just time to spend outside with their families is really special.”

However, this year’s weather has been anything but sweet for business.

“Tart cherries took a really tough freeze this year,” Jollay explained. “It's about five percent of what a normal crop would be. So, we won't even have a real commercial harvest this year.”

While there were enough cherries for some patrons to pick, it was a big blow for Jollay. However, for an operation as old as this one, it helps to lean on history.

“We've been here before; we know what it looks like, and we know how to get through it,” Jollay said. “And that's what we're going to keep doing.”

According to Jollay, that trailblazing attitude is as American as it gets.

“No matter what, we're still going to keep working hard and living. The American Dream,” Jollay said.

And the fruit of that labor is just the cherry on top. 

“There's nothing more American than cherry pie,” Jollay joked.