He always mentions where the plant is located. It is one of only two Sara Lee pie-making plants in the nation. The other is in Iowa. Shephard will occasionally talk about the local fruit crops, too, since Sara Lee uses 25 million pounds of local apples and 18 million pounds of locally grown cherries every year. Shephard has other passions besides pie.
Oil painting is a favorite as is photography.
And he enjoys all forms of music from Fleetwood Mac to classical. Pies have been his life for 23 years, though, and hold a special place. I must be pure American or something. He sees the sweet dessert as a special form of comfort food. The very smell of a pie cooking settles the spirit, he said.