Cherry harvest season is one of our most favorite times of the year. Meanwhile, michigan growers, who dominate the nations tart cherry. Learn more about michigan tart cherry juice for arthritis pain. We dont have enough money to fight all the challenges facing the industry, rocko fouch told bridge magazine. The michigan cherry picking season starts in july and lasts until about midaugust. Michigan cherries and tart cherry juice concentrate. Warmer days in early spring and erratic spring weather have hurt yields in recent years. According to michigan state university, peak cherry season is the 3rd week of july, although i searched my pictures and in 2010 i picked sweet cherries in grant on june 27.
Tart cherries will be available to pick around june 20. Whether you like sweet cherries, tart cherries, dried cherries, or cherry products, you can find it. Michigan crop harvest calendar when fruit and vegetables are. A hungarian sour cherry cultivar, balaton, has been commercially produced in.
However, michigan cherry growers have largely maintained tart cherry acreage despite the dropping prices and infestation, according to usda data. Michigans northwest lower peninsula is the largest producer of tart cherries in the united states. The montmorency cherry is the variety of tart, or sour, cherry most commonly grown in the state. A summer of despair for michigans cherry growers dorance amos, of williamsburg, whose family has been growing tart cherries for three generations, said cherry growers were desperate for some good news. I was invited by the cherry marketing institute to attend an educational cherry harvest event in northern michigan. This video outlines our montmorency tart cherry season from blossom to harvest at king orchards in northern michigan near torch lake and lake michigan. Tart cherry harvesting is an exciting time in the orchard. This tree could save michigans tart cherry industry. Usda estimates 2019 cherry crops fruit growers news. Bill teichman, owner of treemendus fruit farm in eau claire, trims tart cherry trees on his farm wednesday. Welcome to traverse city, michigan, the cherry capital of the world. Consider the perils facing tart cherry growers in orchards in and around traverse city. Feds refuse a salvage cut to save michigans cherry industry. Cherry pie has always been one of my bucket list recipes, along with caramel and macarons and other dishes that ive since tackled or plan to tackle in the kitchen challenge series my main obstacle was a pretty big one, the main ingredient in fact.
Montmorency tart cherries are grown in america and not imported. When arranging to ship during michigans tart cherry season, it is important that you take care to prevent the cherries from spoiling. Crop profile for tart cherries in michigan ipm database. Michigan sweet cherries riveridge produce marketing, inc. When fruit and vegetables are normally available and ready to pick in michigan. You can check out the hundreds of ways tart cherries are packaged at cherry republic.
You can buy a big box of dried cherries that are from michigan. The season in michigan for fresh asparagus is late april. Growers may need to apply insecticides to control these insect pests. We recently took a field trip to amos orchards in northern michigan to see where it all begins. Wealthy, earlymid sept, tart and tangy, an antique apple thats excellent for pies, sauce and baking.
The plump, sour balaton cherry and the sweet, golden emperor francis. A summer of despair for michigans cherry growers bridge magazine. With our roots deep into michigans fruitgrowing orchards, riveridge is also a supplier of michigangrown sweet cherries. Cherry festival is over, but the cherry season has just begun. The tart cherry juice concentrate is a supercharged way of getting the natural health benefit of. Michigan bets on cold war pollen to remain cherry king.
I was compensated with travel and lodging expenses. So, bring your family and join oursthe bounty is sweet. Types of cherries grown in northern michigan king orchards. Cherry harvest in northern michigan grand traverse pie.
Midjuly is near the end of cherry season in michigan, but amy iezzoni can still show off some of the 30 tart cherry varieties in the. It could give us some momentum and our industry really needs it, he said. Cool temperatures have slowed fruit growth stages over the past week. At king orchards, our harvest season begins with strawberry u pick in mid june and ends with upick. We use these ruby red morsels of joy in over 200 cherry products like salsas, chocolate covered cherries, cherry nut mixes, and much. But in july and early august, the countryside around traverse city is dotted with stands, markets and upick signs offering cartons of sweet, dark cherries. Cherry season sweet cherries, including the popular bing and rainier varieties, are available from may to august. A fully mature cherry tree iis capable of producing up to 500 pounds of fruit in a season. Homemade cherry pie with fresh or canned tart cherries. Michigan is cherry country because of the moderating lake effect weather from lake michigan.
Whats in season in april 2020, and other timely information. Traverse city, michigan is home to the annual national cherry festival and is the cherry capital of the world. But the state experienced a huge crop loss in 2012. Michigan for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins and other crops. A summer of despair for michigans cherry growers bridge. The first commercial tart cherry orchards in michigan were planted in 1893. Consequently the top tart cherry counties in 2001 were leelanau and. A successful effort to develop new markets for michigans tart cherry crop was virtually eliminated by a killing frost that took out most of the states crop in 2012. This is the traditional cooking cherry, once picked it needs to be pitted and. Let montmorency tart cherry juice and concentrate help fuel you through the day. The michiganbased store, which also sells goods online, has the.
Northwestern michigan calls itself the cherry capital of the world and supplies most of the countrys tart cherries. Many of the golden sweet varieties are made into maraschino cherries. Always hungry still squeals when she sees her mommas cherry pie on the counter. In fact, we grow 75% of the countrys variety of mighty montmorency cherries. Sour, or tart cherries have a much shorter growing season, and can be found for a week or two, usually during the middle of june in. U pick tart cherry season begins around mid july and lasts approximately two weeks. Cherry bliss on michigans northern peninsula cooking light. After harvest, these gorgeous michigan montmorency tart cherries then head off to smeltzer orchards where they will be processed and will eventually become pie. This is done by maintaining the cold chain and preventing pests from damaging the shipment, while also taking care to preserve the physical integrity of the fruits. Try our greattasting allnatural cherry juice today, and start enjoying the benefits of americas super fruit. Let your taste buds bloom into the season with our michigan cherry ipa made with 100% traverse city cherries and a well balanced collage of fresh hops. More and more research is demonstrating the extraordinary health benefits of tart cherries.
Tart cherry season from blossom to harvest youtube. And while highvalue crops like raspberries might be able to make up the losses for now, some tart cherry farmers who sell most of their harvest to. Upick cherry orchard in northern michigan king orchards. The northwest counties of michigan are so well known for cherries that traverse city hosts the annual national cherry festival. Most of michigans sweet cherry production is concentrated in the traverse city area. Local cherries are the gems of the northern michigan summer. Each year we anxiously await the arrival of the ruby fruit that brings visitors to the area, and keeps many of our businesses running. Montmorency tart cherries have a distinctive soursweet taste that can add a burst of bright flavor and nutrient punch to dishes. Harvesting over 90,000 tons of cherries each year, michigan is the nations leading producer of tart cherries. King orchards montmorency tart cherry juice michigan. Wealthy, earlymid sept, tart and tangy, an antique apple thats excellent for pies. Upick tart cherry season begins around mid july and lasts approximately.
Meanwhile, michigan growers, who dominate the nations tart cherry market with 72 percent of u. Our cherry juice and concentrate is packed with all natural ingredients. Read more about health and nutritional profile of montmorency tart cherries. Im strictly a northern michigan girl,go south and there are just too many people.
Cherries, like other fruit crops in michigan, are grown on sloped sites to avoid spring frosts. East michigan fruit update april 21, 2020 published on april 21, 2020. The state is rivaled only by the pacific northwest for cherry production, with michigan growing the bulk of the tart cherry crop and. King orchards in northern michigan is a upick cherry orchard, also offering raspberries. In michigan, the largest tart cherry producing state, growers reported an average crop. Pick your own michigan sweet and tart cherries at moelker. Since the 1900s, michigan has produced a large quantity of tart cherries, valued for use in pies, juice and preserves. So, go ahead and make a cherry pie if you see fresh tart cherries at the market, tis the season for cherries. Michigan tart cherry growers get the squeeze from overseas. This fruit ipa balances a subtle sweet kiss of tart cherries alongside a deliberate edge of floral bitterness. One of the more popular products made from sour cherries is tart cherry juice concentrate. When arranging to ship during michigan s tart cherry season, it is important that you take care to prevent the cherries from spoiling. A sour season for michigans cherry farmers pbs newshour. Michigans tart cherry orchards struggle to cope with climate.
Every july during the peak of harvest season, cherry lovers from around the world attend the citys national cherry festival, where they can taste just about every michigangrown variety. Cherry production in michigan is a major part of the agriculture industry in the state. Available year round individually quick frozen in our markets and ship them. It takes the juice of about 100 tart cherries to make just one ounce of tart cherry juice concentrate.
Tart cherry season runs from early july to early august. I am lucky because my home state of michigan is the number 1 tart cherry grower in the united states. It shows a wide range of availability because the season for fruits and vegetables. In a large bowl, stir together the 114 cups granulated sugar, quickcooking tapioca, and cornstarch. New obliquebanded leafroller larvae are expected in a week or two. Michigan, which ranks 2nd nationwide in agricultural diversity, grows 75 percent of all u. Normally, cherry fruit flies do not emerge until the end of tart cherry harvest in southwest michigan. The state also leads in cherry processing, as 99 percent of tart cherries mostly the montmorency variety are canned, frozen, dried or in juice form. Tart cherry harvest is estimated to begin about july 8, which is later than normal. While michigan tart cherry farmers are using insecticides, harvesting more frequently is not a possibilitycherry trees are harvested only once per season using a large hydraulic shaker. Michigan tart cherry growers get the squeeze from overseas local. Michigan reigns over tart cherry industry crains detroit business.
1244 678 43 208 119 1395 83 1379 54 1418 669 1223 1366 211 1113 1047 1472 140 105 309 775 1193 463 305 573 519 966 979 841 856 854