Bringing Their Farm to a New Store: Benjamin Twiggs Set to Launch New Front Street Store in June
Benjamin Twiggs and their 60-year legacy of offering the finest cherry products is moving to a new, more spacious location: from 1213 E. Front Street to 305 West Front Street, Suite D in Traverse City. Known by many as “The Original Cherry Store,” owner Leisa Eckerle sums up the goal of their growth as “bringing the family farm to the store.”
For many, the family farm has a special place in our hearts and souls.
Unlike recent trends to sell farmlands to multi-purpose large scale corporations, Leisa (pronounced ‘Lee-shah’) is a part of Jim Eckerle Farms, a working, five-generation growing-and-selling enterprise that includes a 300-acre fruit farm in Suttons Bay, and the Benjamin Twiggs store, opening with their new location soon, that offers locally sourced cherry products to people throughout Michigan and the U.S.
Today, with growth capital from Venture North Funding, Leisa is directing a family effort to capitalize on their new “front and center” position on Traverse City’s iconic Front Street. New signs and shelving; demo space for chefs, wine tastings and education; demolitions to create open space; and reworked plumbing and electrical are all underway with a goal of an early June Grand Opening. The new store will also feature ‘curbside pickup,’ with convenient parking.
“We’ll also have a new grab-n’-go section and, eventually, a ‘sweets café,’” she said, while continuing to serve up “the best pie in the region.”
It’s a family affair indeed – 5 generations! – at Jim Eckerle Farms in Suttons Bay (left). Leisa’s daughter, Alison Hankins (second-from-left) still lends a hand whenever needed while brother Zach and their grandfather Jim, right, work side-by-side on the farm, and grandmother Shirley provides support behind the scenes, all carrying on the legacy of hard work and dedication.
“It’s a big year in the making for Leisa and team!” said Annie Olds, Small Business Lender & Coach for Venture North. “There’s a ton of work ahead with construction and relocation – we can’t wait for the Grand Opening.”
Leisa also founded the Michigan Cherry Growers Alliance in 2024 with a goal of giving farmers a voice. In the first few meetings, growers set goals of increasing grower pricing, improving and building industry relationships and looking at marketing opportunities. These goals would help with transparency and improving grower sustainability. The Alliance attracted 65 producers at its first meeting and hasn’t looked back since.
“I feel the Alliance is doing good work to bring farmers together to have a broader voice working with the Industry and Legislature as well as in promoting the cherry industry for Michigan,” she said.
“The bottom line is that growers need an average price of $.30-$.35 per pound for tart cherries and current pricing has ranged between $.12 and $.25 per pound,” Leisa continued. “In addition to a sustainable market, the Alliance is also sharing ideas for new marketing strategies to reclaim Michigan’s global presence in cherry growing. For us, that likely means taking a hard look at current products like canned, dried and freeze-dried cherries and new innovative forms of cherry use.”
Leisa was recently appointed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Cherry Committee.
“We are here for the farmers,” said Leisa. “In our rapidly evolving culture that plays out in land use and economic change, we need to sustain and expand the importance of farms and farming to our communities, families and region. Some of this involves ‘storytelling’ – trying to help others understand the importance of smaller farms and fresh, healthful products.”
Benjamin Twiggs owner, Leisa Eckerle, stops by to check on the progress of the renovation of their new location on Front Street in downtown Traverse City, above. This in addition to her many other hats including overseeing the Michigan Cherry Growers Alliance which she founded in 2024.
Leisa’s family is the cornerstone of the enterprise and enthusiasm and dedication exudes from all family members.
Leisa’s father and mother, Jim and Shirley, both age 83, pour their energy and experience into the essence of the business: the farm operations including the annual cherry harvest that begins in July with sweet cherries, followed by tart cherries through August, followed by tree pruning and ongoing maintenance. Her father works year-round in the orchards and her mother is the backbone that keeps everyone fed and helps with packaging at Benjamin Twiggs.
Leisa’s son Zach is a full-time member of the farm team while dabbling in store operations, as needed. At 27, he is a pruner, mechanic, welder, shaker, packager and industry booster, always willing to roll with the ever-changing demands at the farm or store.
“There’s always something different each day on the farm,” Zach said. “There are long hours, but I like everything about it. I plan to be still pruning at 83, just like grandpa is today. I also like being involved with the Cherry Alliance and getting the feelings of growers out there.”
Zach is also considering a snow removal company – a seemingly great fit with his mechanical prowess and the abundant northern Michigan snows.
Daughter Alison brings her Business Degree from Kalamazoo College and work experience (and a penchant for long distance running) to the mix as a full-time manager of marketing, social media and corporate sales.
“We’re putting a lot of effort into the transformation of the new Front Street location, working the social media pathways and creating new community partnerships,” said Alison. “I’m also charged with developing our corporate business connections, offering creative ideas, products and packaging with a range of unit sizes and costs. I began working on the farm when I was 14. I’m in this for the long haul.”
Alison, along with the other family members, also team up with Traverse City advisor/consultant – and fellow Suttons Bay native –Shea Petaja who supports company leadership, messaging, storytelling and teamwork.
With her years in the finance industry along with pastoral-like convictions around making the most of the faith and capabilities of the family, she weaves well into the fabric of the company and supporting the people who run it. She even brings the complementary experience of having worked with other area growers, including facilitating the Farmer Alliance Meetings.
“If you’re an entrepreneur, good instincts and intuition – as well as a conviction to live your values – are the ingredients of long-term growth strategy,” Shea says. “This is a beautiful, real-life story that is worth sharing with all – from policy makers to every single client to the media.”
“Our progress and enthusiasm are a credit to every member of our family and team,” says Leisa. “We’ve come a long way since the anxiety and despair of the pandemic which forced us to close in 2020 only two months after we bought Benjamin Twiggs.”
“Who knows? We have all the promise to be going strong for the 10th generation or longer,” she said.
“And we also will sustain our commitment to help unify Michigan cherry growers, claiming our rightful spot in the world as the best there is.”
Contact:
Contact: Tim Ervin - Ph: 231-794-0089 - Email: timervinassoc@gmail.com
For a .pdf version of this story, click here.