President & C.E.O.
Dennis Mackey, 59, has been an organic grower since the late 1980s and has done extensive work on “mineralizing” the soil and crops he grows to maximize nutrition benefits. Mackey has a BS degree from Western Michigan University, 1971. His professional background includes managing Lakeview Orchards Inc., a 1,000-acre fruit growing and packing operation based in northern Michigan in the 1980s. From 1990 to 2000 he managed two organic orchards and farm markets north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While in Wisconsin, Mackey started a fresh pressed organic apple juice operation (1994), establishing markets in Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

From October 2000 to 2002 he worked for Eden Foods, Inc., a $50 million per year organic food company located in Clinton, Michigan. Working for Eden gave Mackey a chance to study the daily operations of one of the most successful organic food companies in the U.S.

In his spare time Mackey tends to his many personal “backyard” organic gardens, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers (his sunflowers are have won multiple County Fair blue ribbons for their immense size!)
 

Partners
Jarvis Franzblau, 83, has a BA degree from the University of Michigan and ran his 250-acre orchard operation near Ann Arbor from 1948 to 1966. He also owned Huron Farms Decatur Storage, Decatur, Michigan, a processor of frozen cherries and strawberries from 1956 to 1984. From 1967 to 1990 he was president of Sawyer Fruit, Bear Lake, Michigan, a fruit and vegetable cooperative. Sawyer processed and marketed a whole spectrum of Michigan fruits and vegetables under the Big Valley frozen and Speas Apple Juice labels. In addition to partnering with Northern Natural in the present day, he is president and owner of Huron Food Sales industrial fruit and vegetable brokers.


Hugh Bowling is the owner of 485-acre Fruitful Acre Farm in Manistee county, Michigan. Hugh has been on the board of MACMA, board of Manistee county Farm Bureau and was Chairman of Sawyer Fruit & Vegetable Co-op, a 43 farm member processing business located in Bear Lake, Michigan.