KENNEWICK _ Most years, cherry season in North America starts in California and moves up the coast to British Columbia as the year progresses. When harvesting is ending in California, the cherry season is just starting in Washington and Oregon.
This year, though, the agricultural sector scrambled to predict whether delays in the California cherry season would impact Pacific Northwest yields.
Crops were heavily impacted by the unpredictable weather patterns across the west coast throughout 2023. Sensitive crops like cherries are susceptible to all sorts of variables, especially weather, so this year’s cherry season has been just as difficult to predict as the weather.
What’s different about this cherry season?
Cherries need to stay on the tree until they’re ripe enough to harvest, then immediately kept cool in order to stay fresh. Once cherries are harvested, there is a short window to utilize the tree fruit before they go bad.
One of the many reasons cherries are such a risky crop is the ripening process. It’s extremely fickle, influenced by many different factors, according to Matt Whiting, a professor and researcher of whole tree physiology at Washington State University. The cold prevents cherries from blooming, but too much heat, too quickly can result in smaller fruit.
California had a record-setting cold and wet spring, pushing its cherry season back nearly three weeks. But once the season began, it was clear it would be extremely abundant. Conditions were prime for optimal cherry crops, allowing for a massive harvest across the state.
Predictions throughout the sector thought that delays to the Pacific Northwest cherry season as well would eradicate any complications from California’s yield. This seemed to be the case when the California season came to a close and Washington farmers prepared for a busy season with a late bloom.
But several extremely hot days in Washington sped up the process just in time for harvest. By this point, the massive yield in California was impacting price, supply and warehouse space across the country.
There are usually only a few days of overlap between California’s cherry season and Washington and Oregon’s seasons. This year, there were weeks of overlap.
California’s impact on Washington cherries
McClatchy has confirmed with multiple regional cherry farmers that packing companies have been denying fruit that they usually accept due to California’s large yield.
The sizing metric used for cherries is based on their diameter, referred to as “rows” based on the old-fashioned packing system.
Cherries used to be hand-packed in neat rows. Harvests were categorized by the fruit’s size, measured in how many rows could fit in a standard packing box. If you could fit ten rows of cherries in one box, you’d have what’s called a ten-row cherry harvest. While the packing and measuring system has changed, this terminology has persisted.
When harvest begins, packing companies set a minimum size of cherries they’ll accept. It usually starts around the average cherry size. As the season continues, the minimum may be raised or lowered accordingly. But this year, packing companies have had to require increasingly large cherries at an accelerated rate, leaving farmers who usually have average-to-above-average cherries denied by the packers they use each year.
You could say they, and their cherries, were left high and dry.
These farmers are having to turn to U-pick options, local sales services and insurance coverage instead, despite losing money this way.
McClatchy contacted associated packing companies and were unable to reach anyone for comment.
“The glut of cherries led to higher and higher standards of cherry, so they were calling more and more out, and the prices are so low that the packing sheds are concerned if you don’t meet a certain percentage of packout, you might not even get your picking cost back,” said one farmer based in Yakima Valley, who requested his name be omitted to protect the farm’s brand.
This left the farmer and his family’s operation contemplating whether or not they should even pick the fruit, as picking labor is one of the costliest factors of their season. But this is a tough decision to make, even with crop insurance, which they haven’t had to use in decades.
“I have been farming for a while and I’ve never not picked a crop,” the cherry farmer said. “It’s tough to do a full year’s worth of work and not be able to harvest.”
It’s like training for a marathon and getting in sight of the finish line on race day, just in time to see that finish line removed.
Of course, the farmer said he would prefer to pick the fruit. He says it’s better for the tree, for the economy, better for everyone. But they can’t pick without a work force, and a work force needs to be paid. Even small operations will pay six figures for picking alone during harvest season. The decision just isn’t simple.
“There’s just way too much fruit,” he said.
The farmer and his family don’t just grow cherries, they have numerous other crops. Because of this, U-pick becomes a much more complex option. Other crops have more safety regulations, requiring training and certification before people can visit the orchards. He says it’s not really a feasible option for operations like theirs.
Why small cherry farmers are suffering
While there are many things that contribute to a successful cherry harvest, with standards so high so early in the season, small farmers are at a disadvantage.
Once there’s an influx of fruit, decisions have to be made regarding which fruit gets left behind. While a tough decision, WSU’s Whiting anticipates it wouldn’t favor smaller, independent workers.
“This has happened in the past, where there’s a big crop, a lot of fruit coming in,” Whiting said in an interview with McClatchy. “You can imagine, if you’re a smaller, independent cherry farmer, and you’re trying to find a home or facility or company that will receive your fruit, then sort them and pack them and sell them, it’s very difficult.”
Smaller family farms were the only operations willing to speak with McClatchy for this story.
“Honestly, it’s just really tough,” said Israel Uriostegui, who operates a 26-acre, family-run cherry farm with his brother Raul in the Yakima Valley. “The small farmer’s definitely at a disadvantage dealing with the big companies taking over the orchards. They control the prices, they control everything.”
It’s not just the owners taking a hit, either. Migrant workers and traveling pickers who usually follow the seasons north have been put out by irregular seasons and an inability to pick some crops. Harvesting cherries is a large workforce contributor, leaving many seasonal employees out of a job.
The employees who have been around all year are also impacted, according to the anonymous cherry farmer, as they take just as much pride in the product as the growers.
Everyone involved in the operation works year-round for a few days of output, which makes a lost or denied crop that much harder to deal with.
“We’re taking the loss really personally this year,” said Uriostegui. “But like they say, when a tornado hits the town, all we can do is rebuild.”
California’s impact on cherry price
In Yakima and Tri-Cities, most red cherries are going for between $2.48 and $4 per pound at chain grocery stores like Walmart and Safeway. Rainier cherries are pricier, ranging between $5 and $6 per pound.
Many local options are offering cherries at $1 per pound. Here are some U-pick operations in Eastern Washington that you can visit to save money and support local farmers.
