To the editor:
Well, Leelanau County farmers are well into orchard work as we move from late spring into summer. Today’s farmers are responsible for tightly controlling chemical usage and storage, water usage, as well as who/what moves through our orchards.
While the orchards are beautiful, green and attractive, they are not for self-serve tours while sightseeing. And come harvest time I know the cherries on the trees look like juicy red morsels but they are the farmers livelihood and not for passersby to pick. We have found cars loading up coolers full of cherries, met headlights coming out of the orchard after dark when we go to spray at night and cars casually driving through our orchard while we are actually spraying. Orchards are private property and a workplace and should be treated as such.
