Kurt Dowd has been around farms most of his life. So when it came time to transition the family’s historic operation near Hartford, Michigan, away from being family owned and operated, he found a way to remain involved.
Dowd, incoming president of the Michigan State Horticultural Society (MSHS), was retained as manager of the 400-acre tart cherry business when the family farm was purchased by Cherry Bay Orchards of Traverse City, Michigan, in 2001.
“This farm was established in 1844 by our family, and we’ve been farmers here for a long time,” Dowd said. “When we got out of the business, I went to work for Cherry Bay Orchards, which bought a number of our farms. Simultaneously, I went to work as an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance and I still do that today.”