Sedminiks carry on the cherry tradition
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Just past mile marker 18 on Highway 35, a red and white sign on the east side of the road says "Charlie's Cherries."
It’s here Charlie and Nancy Sedminik continue the family tradition of growing cherries, lapin cherries to be exact.
The cherry orchard has been in the family since 1934. Nancy’s great aunt and uncle, Mildred and Fred Kelso, were founding members of the Flathead Cherry Growers Association. The “starter house” on the property was built in 1928, Nancy said, and the Kelsos moved into the tiny house is 1934. The reasoning behind the term starter house was that a couple began with a small house and added onto it as additional members of the family were born. The Kelsos had no children, however, so the house stayed small.
The Sedminiks live in Deer Lodge, but Charlie comes to Yellow Bay in March. Although they hire someone to prune and spray, Charlie has irrigating and mowing to keep him busy until Nancy comes over for the summer.
“We just strive to maintain the orchard,” Nancy explained.
When cherry harvest arrives so do Jose Ayala, Juan Gomez, Maria Gomez and Lucia Gomez from San Jose, Wash. The Gomezs and Ayala have been picking cherries for Nancy and Charlie for at least 10 years and have their own key to the fifth wheel trailer next to the Sedminiks' house. If they harvest cherries at another orchard, they still stay at the Sedminiks.
Ayala said he likes to come to Yellow Bay because he likes Flathead Lake and swimming in it to cool off.
The Gomezs and Ayala start early in the morning and pick until 1 p.m. or until the temperature rises to 80 degrees.
On cherry-picking days, Nancy fixes lunch for the crew “because they work hard.”
Nancy and Charlie make two or three trips to the cherry plant on Finley Point per day, more if they can hire additional pickers to help in the cherry orchard.
The cherries this year are big, Charlie said, but there are not as many as last year.
“I’ve never known them to pick this late,” Nancy said, adding that because of the late harvest she will miss the Powell County Fair.
Due to the odd weather, the Sedminiks noted they will not have any apricots, nectarines or peaches, but they do have a few pears and apples.
The couple will stay in the Flathead through the middle of October to button up the orchard before “we drain the pipes and go back to Deer Lodge” for the winter.
