By Al Parker
CEDAR -- Back in 1990, when Ken Denoyer whipped up a batch of bean soup from his own recipe, he didn't realize his wife Bernadette would turn the hearty concoction into a flourishing business.
But that's exactly how the Leelanau County natives launched Northern Seasons, a bustling local food supplier.
"We named it Ol' Geezer Soup," recalled Bernadette. "It was our very first product and everyone loved it so much that we soon came out with Ol' Geezer Pea Soup."
The company added Ol' Geezer Barley Soup, plus a growing line of fruit and nut products. Northern Seasons offers dried cherries, cranberries and blueberries, plus a tasty cherry-berry mix. There are also cherries coated in either yogurt or chocolate.
Some of the company's most popular products are its line of fruit and nut mixes, including Sleepy Bear Trail Mix, a blend of dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, raw pecans, fresh roasted almonds and chocolate covered cherries.
"Our newest product is Harvest Snack, which we introduced last fall," explained Bernadette. "It's made with dried apples, dried cranberries, raw almonds and fresh roasted pecans. It's been very popular."
Bernadette blends her fruit and nut mixes in relatively small batches, only 15-30 pounds at a time, in her commercial kitchen. That's one of the keys to the success of Northern Seasons, she said.
"People really want something fresh and delicious," she said. "By making small batches, all of our mixes are only days old. We do make the soup mixes ahead of time, since they stay fresh longer."
Bernadette grew up in Cedar, while Lake Leelanau was Ken's hometown. Both have the entrepreneurial spirit and operated Basket Expressions in Suttons Bay for several years before selling the shop in 2000.
"Running our own business just came easily to me," said Bernadette, who once worked as a secretary. "My Dad was always self-employed and my husband still operates his own plumbing and heating business."
Northern Seasons products can be found in several area locations, including Black Star Farms, Heavenly Ham and the Cedar City Market. Bernadette also sets up at farmer's markets in Traverse City, Leland, Glen Arbor and Elk Rapids. And they do a brisk Internet business at www.northernseasons.com.
This time of year she's kept busy preparing the soup mixes. In the next two to three weeks, she will begin blending the fruit-nut mixes for the first farmer's markets on Mother's Day weekend.
