Cherries On The Farm

Summer Long Harvest

Latitude and altitude - these two geographic terms are both key ingredients in Stemilt's ability to harvest cherries throughout the summer season.

Latitude measures how far north or south of the equator a place is located, which in turn, affects the region's climate. Because of its closer proximity to the equator, California crops are harvested before the same crop would be in the north. For instance, warm temperatures in the early spring cause California's cherry orchards to bloom earlier than orchards in Washington. Therefore, ripe cherries fill the trees in California about six weeks before they do in Washington.

Altitude also plays an important role in determining when cherries are harvested. In June, Stemilt begins cherry harvest in Washington at orchards located 700 feet above sea level. No matter what the elevation, cherries will be picked off the tree between 45 and 60 days after bloom, but high-elevation orchards bloom later in the spring, and subsequently, are harvested later in the summer. In fact, harvest is pushed back one day for every 100 ft. increase in vertical elevation. The high-elevations of Stemilt Hill (1,200 to 3,000 feet above sea level) allow Stemilt to stretch its cherry crop into August. Kyle Mathison's Amigos orchard operation takes cherries into late August - giving Stemilt the latest cherries in the state at 3,200 to 3,500 feet above sea level.

Best Farming Practices

In addition to planting cherry trees in the best locations, Stemilt growers use modern farming practices with a focus on sustainability to grow delicious sweet cherries. Read on to learn about why we hand-pick cherries and a few of the secrets to growing high-quality fruit every year.

Hand-picking Cherries

While there are a variety of mechanical methods available to take ripe cherries off the tree, Stemilt believes that hand-picking is the best way to maintain the overall quality of this delicate fruit. During harvest, workers make their way through rows of trees to hand-pick each cherry, stem and all. Cherries are then placed in soft canvas bags and eventually transferred to small plastic bins.

The process of hand-picking cherries is certainly tedious, but also a necessary step to reduce fruit bruising and help maintain the high-quality fruit that Stemilt is famous for. Plus, with new buds already showing up on the tree, carefully hand-picking cherries keeps buds intact and sets the farmer up for success in the year that follows.

Progressive Tree Pruning

Just like trees and plants in your own backyard need occasional pruning, so do cherry trees! Stemilt prunes its cherry trees in the winter and summer to keep trees strong and healthy. The pruning process involves removing diseased or infected branches, thinning the top of the tree to increase airflow and maximize the amount of sunlight that shines through, and removing branches that cross or rub together. In addition, farmers typically thin trees after bloom to obtain proper fruit size and shape. All in all, this focus on tree training helps ensure that cherry trees yield high-quality fruit year after year.

Focus on Sustainability

Perhaps the most important farming practices at Stemilt are the ones that are helping make agriculture a sustainable business for future generations. Since 1989, Stemilt producers have focused on conserving water, limiting the use of synthetic applications, and incorporating natural farming methods to manage fruit pests. These efforts are part of Stemilt's Responsible Choice program, and have been making a difference in our orchards for over two decades.

World Famous Compost: Born by Kyle Mathison, this unique operation takes 100% of the green waste (leaves, culled fruit, wood chips, etc.) from Stemilt's packing plants and regenerates it into a natural, nutrient-rich fertilizer that feeds over 1,000 acres of cherry orchards. In addition to preventing more than 160 truckloads of waste from filling up area landfills each year, Kyle's compost boosts the nutritional balance of the soil, strengthens the trees' natural defenses, and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Water Conservation: Stemilt uses a variety of methods to conserve water including: watering only when necessary, using micro-sprinklers and planting ground-cover to prevent moisture loss. Additionally, there are water retention ponds at several Stemilt orchards that hold water for the driest periods of the season.

Natural Farming Methods: Kyle Mathison and other Stemilt growers rely on natural farming methods to control pests, especially when it comes to protecting delicate cherries. During cherry season, you'll see trained falcons circling Kyle's orchards to naturally ward off fruit-damaging birds, while Kestrel houses at other orchards help keep the pesky birds away. We also use pheromone traps that disrupt the mating patterns of known fruit pests, reducing the need to use synthetic materials on trees.

Artisan Organics: Stemilt is one of the largest supplies of organic tree fruit in the nation! Over the past 20 years, we've increased our organic cherry acreage exponentially in order to provide people like you with fruit that's been naturally farmed for ultimate flavor. Grown in balanced orchards, all cherries packaged under the Artisan Organics label are USDA certified organic.