| The Cherry Orchard | Cherry Market |
Cherries
Sunny days, cool nights, sweet cherries
In the mid-1800s, Northwest cherry growers discovered the local growing conditions for dark, sweet cherries were nearly perfect. The combination of warm, sunny days and cool nights, nutrient-rich volcanic soils, and plenty of clear, clean, snow-fed water make Northwest cherries the biggest, plumpest, juiciest, and sweetest cherries you'll find.
Cherry facts
- The Northwest leads the world in sweet cherry production.
- There are more than 2,500 cherry growers.
- Washington growers harvest up to 170,000 tons of cherries each year.
- Every year, approximately 30,000 acres of cherry orchards bear fruit.
- A cherry tree takes nearly 10 years to reach its full production potential.
- Cherries are especially sensitive to adverse weather conditions during harvest such as rain, excessively hot sun, and hail — any of which can make or break a good production year.
- Sweet Cherry varieties include Lapin, Bing, Van, Lambert, Sweetheart, Skeena, Chelan, Tieton, and Rainier.
- IQF or frozen cherry production utilizes Lapin, Bing, and Van varieties.