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May 3, 2009 · Members of the apple industry have lost a friend and colleague with the passing of Bill Gammie, who died April 10 at the age of 81. Mr. Gammie was the founder of the Jack Frost Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA.
Apr 15, 2009 · Bill GAMMIE Our father, Bill Gammie, left us to join his family and friends in the Heavens on April 10, 2009. He was born June 6, 1927, in Hallonquist, Saskatchewan, Canada where he was...
- The Gammie Family
- Bill (Chip) Gammie
- Jacque Gammie
- Ben Gammie
- Brooke Gammie
- Barry (Chuck) Freeman
- Becky Colon
- Olivia Newell
- Efrain (Lou) Rodirguez
- Seasonal Staff
2nd Generation: Bill and Jacque, 3rd Generation: Ben and Brooke, 4th Generation: Payton and Henry; Resident Pups London and Walter. Photo by Thomas and Thomas Photography, Spring Bloom 2015.
Farmer, Mentor, Leader
Our General. Bill has been leading the Quarry Hill Team into battle for the better part of 36 years. While his management practices are sometimes suspect, there is no other grower in the state of Ohio with a more genuine desire to make each and every customer who walk in the barn feel special. You know this because he will remember your name… and your children’s name… and where you took your wife to dinner after your last visit to the farm. This philosophy has become a cornerstone for the cul...
Every reason Bill is here
Behind every successful business is a strong woman. Jacque has endured the struggle to balance farm and family while remaining committed to her children, her husband… and the farm. In addition to being the backbone for their two children (Ben and Adrianne), Jacque followed her own career as a home economics teacher. It was by only through her stability that the farm survived all those lean years. She is still waiting for Bill to return the favor with a new stone patio at the house. Now in ret...
Heir to the Throne?
Every legacy needs someone to challenge its longevity and existence. Having spread his wings in travels abroad and through the American West for just over a decade, Ben returned home in 2013 with his beautiful bride, two loving children, a dog, and a step-cat. His return ensured the farm’s endurance for another generation… and that his fly fishing gear will be tucked in a corner of the barn for the foreseeable future. Ben’s enthusiasm for orcharding can only perhaps be matched by his inexperi...
Better half of Ben
A dream fulfilled starts with finding your life partner…..and finding a career you’re passionate about. Brooke fell in love with Ben AND the idea of farming over cold beers on weekend camping trips with friends in Austin, Texas; a special City near and dear to her heart which served as her late-20’s self-discovery adventure and home to her career as a Professional Civil Engineer. 10 years of engineering, two kids, and the corporate hamster-wheel lead Brooke and Ben to pack up life and move ba...
Get ‘er Done
We can say without hesitation that Quarry Hill Orchards would cease to operate without Chuck. He started his tenure here at the farm when his only mode of transportation was a bike. In the 21 years that have followed, Chuck has come to know every aspect of the operation better than anyone save Bill himself. When we need calm, collected thoughts from someone who can wrench on equipment, we go to Chuck. And during harvest time, Chuck kicks it into high gear managing orchard crews as well as ass...
The Farming Artist
No other apple farm we’re aware of can boast their own college professor, published author and independent film maker… all rolled into a neat little package she calls being a “farming artist”. Becky joined the team just 3 years ago and has quickly grasped all the nuances of fruit farming. Bill must be on his toes at the beginning of the day, because Becky often arrives at work with a list of questions about our growing practices and is armed with works cited from the intellectuals at Cornell...
Our Little Sis
It is safe to say that Ms. Olivia has grown up here on the farm. Over the past 6 seasons, we have seen her emerge a confident young woman bound for a career in nursing as she currently works her way through school. This is a far cry from the teenage girl that first walked onto the farm. We can attribute that to a constant mentoring from Bill and Becky… coupled with constant teasing from Chuck and the orchard boys. Olivia can now lead a crew of her own and run the retail market with a similar...
Lean Horse for a Long Race
Lou joined us straight from his motherland in Mexico at the age of 17, not knowing much English at all but having a strong work ethic and a desire to find a permanent fit north of the border. Lou befriended Rita Holler (the best bar keep around and work horse up at the Winery) and her family during his first few seasons. He was soon conjugating verbs like he’d been here since birth. He has taken on every task here at the farm and leads our pruning and harvest crews in the orchard. Lou knows e...
The Real Workers
While there is a revolving door of great folks who come in on a seasonal basis to help us out, we have been able to lean on the Rocha family and the Trevino family for our work in the orchard for the majority of the past 36 years. The Rocha brothers have been a big part of the harvest crew recently and have also brought a covey of sons and wives to assist in the pack house. Domingo “Liar” Trevino and his sons have returned to us this season after about a decade away. But they have not missed...
Jun 12, 2019 · ‘Passion has to be your guide,’ says fruit grower Bill Gammie (right), of Quarry Hill Orchards in Erie County. He left a career in teaching to rebuild the orchard his father started.
Feb 2, 2024 · WASHINGTON, D. C. - Concerned that foreign interests are buying up farms in Ohio and across the country, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has signed onto a bill that would bolster an existing law that...
Members of the apple industry have lost a friend and colleague with the passing of Bill Gammie, who died April 10 at the age of 81. Mr. Gammie was the founder of the Jack Frost Fruit Co. in Yakima, WA. Mr. Gammie, born June 6, 1927, in Hallonquist, Saskatchewan, grew up on a family farm.
A few stoic “wild” dogwoods peek from the tree line by the old Bailey quarry. While once prolific, the numbers have decreased in the last twenty years. Jacque, Adrianne, Brooke and Bill’s mom count them as favorites…for their bloom orders a sense of reassurance in the seasons of life.
