It was front page news last month in the Fruit Grower News, but those of us who are not subscribed to that industry publication were not necessarily privy to the historic news that Monica Teichman from Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire has been tabbed to be the first female president of the Michigan State Horticultural Society and has taken the reins following the annual meeting of that organization.
Teichman is the first woman to head up that organization which is nearly 150 years old. Designed “to foster an awareness of Michigan’s horticultural possibilities, encourage increased appreciation for the state’s choice fruit products and provide educational leadership on practical cultural, managerial, and marketing methods,” the unit began back in 1870.
Stephen Kloosterman is Assistant Editor of the Fruit Grower News, and he did an extensive profile on Monica in the November 2017 issue of the publication. Saying, “She married into a family of growers, came into her own selling at farmers’ markets, and now will be the president” of the horticultural society, Kloosterman gives us a peek behind the curtain at the amazing woman who has taken over ownership of Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm with her husband, Bill from Bill’s parents Herb & Liz Teichman.
Monica has been a member of the board at the horticultural society for four years and now has moved into the top position as president, but Kloosterman says she doesn’t attach much significance to the fact that she’s the first woman at the helm, telling him, “I’m just another person on the committee that gets this honor. I feel like I’m doing my part. It doesn’t matter if I’m the only female, we’re all doing the same thing.”
She married Bill 26 years ago in 1991 and they continue to farm cherries, apples, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, plums and raspberries. The family owned Skyline Orchards and Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm have been in business since the 1920s and grow some 200 apple varieties over more than 450 acres.
The Tree-Mendus name garnered considerable attention world wide thanks to Monica’s father-in-law Herb Teichman who organized the annual International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championships held around the 4th of July each summer.
Monica earned her associates degree from Lake Michigan College and with her experience in sales played a vital role in the marketing components for the family farm. According to Kloosterman’s article, she is also a paid-per-call firefighter in the community, and has extensive leadership on the Berrien Springs Blossomtime Queen Committee.
Kloosterman tells of her extensive farm market work including trips to the market in St. Charles, Illinois “where she’s cultivated a customer base that buys a wide variety of different apples in addition to market standbys like Honeycrisp.” About 85-percent of her buyers are regulars, too.
Additionally, Kloosterman cites Teichman’s committee work where she is an advocate for educating customers about buying local, buying fresh, and “quality, quality, quality.”
It was apparently fellow grower Brian Bixby of Bixby Orchards who suggested she get involved at the state level because, “You always have something to say and you’re not afraid to say it.”
She calls her work at the state level “a great networking opportunity,” adding, “We all want to know how everyone else is doing, and there’s no better place to find that.”
Congratulations to Monica Teichman, the fiery ag advocate who’s worked hard to arrive at this stage of the game. The role of president fits her well.
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market shows Teichman book-ended by her husband Bill on the left and daughter Alexis on the right.
