Dan Vannest of The Fruitful Orchard

Growing up in the rural farming community of Gladwin, Dan Vannest says he learned a strong work ethic through bailing hay, working at his grandfather’s sawmill and helping his parents with their small cleaning business. His wife Tracey had a similar upbringing, growing up on her family’s potato and vegetable farm in the Linwood/Pinconning area of the state.

Yet despite their shared agricultural roots, farming wasn’t originally in the cards for their life together. Dan earned his degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Business Administration before working for Fortune 500 companies like John Deere and DaimlerChrysler.

After 11 years of working in Corporate America, Dan wanted to return to country living near family, which aligned with a chance opportunity to purchase Gladwin’s only apple orchard. Dan and Tracey purchased the former Yost Orchard in 2009, renaming the now 45-acre property The Fruitful Orchard.

“Our vision is to make the orchard not only a place to get apples or grab a treat, but a true gathering place where experiences, conversations and memories grow just as abundantly as the harvest,” Dan says.

Apples are at the core of Michigan’s agriculture industry – in fact, Michigan is the second-largest producer of apples in the country. More than 17.6 million apple trees cover 38,000 acres on 850 family-run farms across Michigan, including Fruitful Orchard. October has also been designated Michigan Agritourism Month by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, highlighting the delicious economic impact of agriculture and tourism in the state.

How do you like them apples?

What was your career path like that led you to boomerang back to Michigan?

My wife and I met at Michigan Technological University, both receiving degrees in engineering. After graduating college, I spent two years working for John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa, then moved to Indianapolis where I worked for DaimlerChrysler for five years. Tracey started her career in Indianapolis after graduating college as an environmental engineering consultant. While living in Indianapolis, we both received our master’s degrees in business from Indiana University Kelly School of Business.

With the DaimlerChrysler facility closing in Fall 2005, we anticipated returning to Michigan, but God’s plan directed us to West Palm Beach, Florida. While in Florida I worked for a friend’s construction and mold remediation business and Tracey was able to transfer with her same company to the Boca Raton office. Amid the crazy economy of 2008, the orchard opportunity came, and we took a leap of faith that brought us back home to Michigan in January 2009.

What led to purchasing the apple orchard in Gladwin? 

We always kept our eyes open for opportunities to move back to Michigan to help with my aging parents and to be closer to our families when we started our own. When living in Florida one evening, I was on the phone with my mom, and she mentioned the orchard was for sale. I asked her if she knew what they were asking for it and she said, ‘No, but what do you know about running an orchard?’ I responded, ‘Well, I like cider and donuts.’ We laughed about it, but I couldn’t resist giving the owners, Jim and Amy Yost, a call to discuss. I do remember being at the orchard when I was young and enjoying the experience there, especially the cider and donuts. 

What has the reception been like and how has it felt to be back in your hometown community?

The reception from the community has been great. This orchard has been here since the early 80s, providing orchard experiences and creating memories. There were a couple years in the early 2000s when it struggled with a brief change in ownership, but the Yost family was amazing to pass the torch to us where we could learn the business and grow great apple crops to sustain it. It’s amazing to hear the happiness in people’s voices when they live in the area but are discovering the orchard for the first time.

When did The Merry-Hearted Cidery become a part of the business?

It was probably five years after we took over the orchard that we were looking for ways to expand business with the resources available. The seasonal nature of the orchard business wasn’t a sustainable income with our growing family. We found that there were years we had a lot of apples left over at the end of the season and making hard cider would be a great way to utilize those larger crops. Hard cider was an emerging market and becoming more popular, so we started learning and experimenting. Once we started understanding what great product we could produce, we started incorporating the other fruits we grow at the orchard to bring additional flavors of hard cider to our patrons. In 2016, we opened The Merry-Hearted Cidery on property with a small tasting room for those to sample hard cider and purchase bottles. This was a great way to supplement income in the months that the orchard was not open.

Can you describe a typical day at the orchard and what your peak season is like?

A typical day starts in the bakery around 5-5:30am getting the donut machine and ovens turned on and warmed up. We have a from-scratch kitchen that makes donuts, bread, rolls and fruit pies. Once the kitchen is up and running, the rest of the operations slowly come to life. Apple pickers will show up throughout the day, apples picked will be washed and sorted, and a couple days a week we press fresh, unpasteurized apple cider.

Fall weather always increases business so our peak times are typically the last half of September and first half of October. The store is a bustling little shop as people local and from all over the state come to get their Fall fix of apple cider donuts, fresh cider and apples straight from the trees. On busy Saturdays, lines can be up to 45 minutes long, but we have amazing seasonal crews that are hustling to keep things moving and provide a positive, fun atmosphere while customers get their Fall goodies.

How does it feel to be a part of Michigan’s agribusiness and agritourism industries?

We love being a part of the Michigan agritourism business. I have been on the Michigan Agritourism Association’s board of directors for the last seven years. Agritourism is vital to the state and all of us involved want to continue to see each other succeed. It can be hard navigating the ups and downs of inviting people to your farm and wanting the experience to be enjoyable for both us and the customers. Learning from others is what makes us stronger and being able to help other farms is likewise gratifying. Tracey and I want to share the fruits of our labor, love for agriculture and strong sense of community and fellowship with others.

What are some of your favorite parts of living/working in the state?

After living in multiple other areas of the country, I can honestly say that Michigan is simply the best. We love the seasons where the weather is different enough from season to season that they get their own fun activities to enjoy. Spending time in the Upper Peninsula during college added to our love of Fall when enjoying the colors change, the beautiful landscape for snowmobiling and skiing, the blooms in the Spring signaling renewal and then the love of all the Great Lakes when that summer heat comes… what isn’t there to love about Michigan? Michigan also has an amazing craft beverage industry that provides new places to visit in addition to fun business opportunities. 

Do you have plans for future growth at Fruitful Orchard?

All business owners eventually face the choice of maintaining the status quo or stepping into something greater. For us, the orchard has never just been about growing apples, it’s about creating a space where people can gather, connect, and enjoy the fruits of God’s creation together. We see ourselves as stewards of His land and believe our responsibility is to share it in ways that enrich our community. That’s why we’re so excited about what’s next.

We’re building two new buildings that will give us stronger infrastructure, extend our orchard and bakery store season and introduce a new small plates menu designed to pair perfectly with our hard cider tastings. Beyond that, we’re expanding and enhancing our outdoor spaces so that families, friends and neighbors, old and new, can spend more time enjoying each other’s company.

Learn how the MEDC helps Michigan’s farmers and agribusinesses grow.