Longtime Whatcom County business will remain very much a family affair after sale
Eric Abel has had an appreciation for farming ever since he was child visiting his grandfather’s citrus orchard in California. Now he and his family will get to experience it firsthand.
The Abel family recently acquired Bellewood Acres, which includes 62 acres of apple and pear orchards to go with a 14,000-square-foot building that has a store, cafe, bakery and distillery. The founders of Bellewood, John and Dorie Belisle, still have an ownership stake and are helping during a transition period, said Eric Abel in an interview.
Eric Abel is president of the facility, while his wife, Julie is the store and cafe manager. Their son, Blake, is vice president and will oversee farm operations. Blake’s wife Janelle will handle marketing and community relations. Blake and Janelle have two children, making it three generations on the farm.
The business at 6140 Guide Meridian currently employs around 30 people, reaching a peak of 74 during the busy harvest season, Abel said.
Before acquiring Bellewood, Eric Abel was working in a marketing and product development for a Seattle company. About a year ago he heard from childhood friends Wes and Diane Herman (founders of Woods Coffee) that the farm was for sale. The Abel family decided to go for it and started attending events at Bellewood, learning how things worked and whether it was a good fit.
Part of their inspiration is from reading author Michael Pollan, who has written about how he views food. That has influenced Abel, who looks as food as more than just something to consume, but the richness of family and the act of coming together. That is something they want to impart to people who visit Bellewood Acres, he said.
“Part of this (buying Bellewood) is about finding something we can do together,” Abel said, adding that he also wants it to be a place people feel they belong.
Abel said they don’t plan on making big changes right now, particularly as they continue to learn about the business. They do plan on adding hard cider to its distillery menu and want to expand its involvement with the community and agricultural organizations.
The ownership change comes after a busy fall harvest season, harvesting around 1.7 million apples — including the popular Honeycrisp variety, according to a news release from the company. In October they also have 50 different school classes at the farm for tours. While the harvest is over, the farm is still busy with its holiday events, which includes visits from Santa, trolley rides in the orchard and holiday pies for sale.
When it comes to future production, Abel said they want to stick with what has worked for Bellewood Acres: Growing high-quality fruit and not going toward mass production. Sticking with good-tasting fruit and value-added products like baked goods not only works as a business model, but it fits in with what the Abel family wants when it comes to food, he said.
For updates on what’s happening, visit the Bellewood Acres Facebook page.
Other Tidbits
On Dec. 13 Frida Emalange opened Zorganics Cosmetics in the JC Penney wing of Bellis Fair mall. The store features a variety of organic products for hair, skin and body care, according to a company news release. The store is the latest expansion for Zorganics, which in October launched the Zorganics Institute Beauty and Wellness in Bellingham’s Bakerview Square. Emalange has also operated salons and day spas in Bellingham and Bellevue since 2001. Details about the new store can be found at Zorganics.com. ... Treasured Memories recently moved to Bellingham’s Bakerview Square from Lynden. Owner Judy Chisholm said the store offers a variety of antiques and home decor items. Also in the store is a section for vintage toys, run by Reuben Perez. For details, visit treasuredmemorieswa.com. ... The Torre Cafe at 119 N. Commercial St. is going through some changes. There was an ownership change in September, according to a Facebook post. A state liquor license application was submitted earlier this month to change the cafe name to Anmly. The applicant is Emile Diffley.
