Hot days bring on Flathead cherry harvest

The Flathead Valley’s cherry harvest is in full swing, running a few days ahead of normal.

“The heat brings them on a little bit faster, but the bloom was earlier this year,” said Ken Edgington, secretary of the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers Association. “My orchard showed full bloom on May 5; normally it’s around the 10th.”

Edgington said his Lapin cherries were harvested about five days earlier than normal this year and the Lamberts came on faster, too.

About 80 growers belong to the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers cooperative that ships the chilled cherries from the cooperative’s plant at Finley Point to Monson Fruit Co. in Selah, Wash., for processing.

A few orchards began harvesting cherries two weeks ago, but most growers commenced full harvest early last week.

More than 750,000 pounds of cherries already have been collected from cooperative growers. An estimated 1.5 million pounds of cherries are expected this year, down about 1 million pounds from an average harvest because of a late-season frost.

Gary Hoover, whose orchard is just north of Yellow Bay, also said his harvest is running at warp speed.

“We had eight pickers pick 5,000 pounds in about six hours,” Hoover said. “They were good and fast. I was taking them Popsicles all day” to beat the heat.

Both Edgington and Hoover said that while there are fewer cherries this year, the cherries are bigger.

“The size is holding up well,” Edgington said. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the Lamberts; it’s one of the better pack-outs in several years.”

Hoover said his Lapins are about five days earlier than normal, due largely to the hot weather. But the quality is stellar.

“They’re lip-smacking bueno,” he said with pride.

Although Hoover said he and wife, Susan, were too busy this year to set up a roadside stand, there are many, many stands along the east shore of Flathead Lake. He also ships cherries through a mail-order business.

Flathead growers also raise Rainiers, Sweethearts, Skeenas and Kootenays. The Sweethearts and Skeenas are later varieties, but not that much later, Edgington said.

The growers cooperative is wrapping up a documentary of the Flathead cherry industry that will further promote the cherries. It will be displayed on digital monitors at grocery stores where the cherries are sold.

“We’ll be testing it to see if it makes a difference” in marketing the cherries, Edgington said.

The video will be used at trade shows, too, to promote the uniqueness of Flathead cherries.