Carlson’s Island View Orchard is a fifth-generation farm in Sister Bay, WI. The first cherry trees were planted in 1915, and the farm offers a popular You-Pick program featuring fruit, strawberries, plums, tomatoes, and pumpkins. They received a $3,359 grant to replace their drip irrigation system, repair their hoop house, purchase strawberry and raspberry plants to diversify their crops, and establish native Mason bee colonies for pollination.
Carlson’s Island View Orchard has had a big year! They have installed drip irrigation, improved their soil with compost and no-till mowing, diversified their crops with spring strawberries and fall raspberries, repaired their greenhouse, and started a pollinator program. Their pollinator program has included educational opportunities, including a game on bee communication at their fall corn maze in which over 300 children participated! On top of all their grant project work, they welcomed a daughter who will be a 6th generation farmer to the Orchard. Owner and Farmer Anna Carlson-Krauel told us that the work they’ve done this summer “will allow us the revenue needed to put back into the farm and continue to grow and expand for future generations.”
