Horseshoe Bay Farms Reunion Aug. 13

File photo by Len Villano.

Horseshoe Bay Farms was once the largest employer in Door County and one of the most innovative dairy breeding operations in Wisconsin. Its sprawling complex of barns, buildings, gardens and orchards at 7212 Horseshoe Bay Road south of Egg Harbor was awe inspiring in the 1920s, and its remnants remain so today.

The people who bought the farm in 2018 to preserve it, however, know that the most important history isn’t in the buildings: It’s in the stories of the people who worked and lived there. On Aug. 13, they are expanding the process of collecting those stories by hosting a Cherry Camp reunion picnic at the farm to bring together both those who worked full time on the farm and those who may have worked for only a week of cherry-picking as children.

“We’re trying to connect with as many people as we can who have been involved with the farm in some way, or who have been to cherry camp, or who have family members who had been there,” said Lori Nicholas, who bought the farm with her husband, David, in 2018 to ensure that it was preserved. They then formed a nonprofit to oversee the property and developed a 20-year master plan to guide its evolution. 

Horseshoe Bay Farms tour guide Scott Stein said they’re unearthing new knowledge about the farm all the time. 

“Every tour I give, I learn something,” he said. “And there are still questions I’m trying to get answers to that I can pass along.”

“What makes those tours come alive is the stories we hear from people,” Nicholas said. “The stories of what happened there and the people who lived there.”

Personal invitations have been sent to dozens of people connected with the farm, but the picnic is open to anyone who has a connection, as well as the general public. 

The farm’s board and staff have been working with a University of Wisconsin-Green Bay archivist to develop tools and interviewing techniques for collecting stories, with the picnic serving as an informal conversation point to learn more. The old-time picnic lunch will be served 11 am – 2 pm.

“We want people to know how much we value them and their contributions to this rich history,” Nicholas said. 

Register in advance by email at [email protected] or by phone at 920.495.9988, but registration is not required to attend. Farm tours are available Wednesday-Sunday at 11 am and 1 pm, and by special appointment for private groups.