As the 2021 Northwest cherry season ramps up, Stemilt Growers is already harvesting cherries from its California orchards, and expects to continue the season through mid-June. “We will have an overlap between Washington and California harvest, and expect to manage that well because of pent up demand for cherries happening worldwide,” said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers.

Most people are looking for 2021 to be an improvement on 2020, and Northwest cherry growers are no different. “Last year’s high quality was savored by consumers, but demand massively exceeded supply for most of the summer,” said James Michael vice president of marketing, North America for Northwest Cherry Growers.

The first cherries from Katco Packing, the new partnership that brings the popular Brookside and Katicich brands under the same roof in Stockton, CA, are shipping now from Oppy.

Stemilt’s cherry season kicks off this week in California and all eyes are on the crop’s upcoming promotional window and the fast-approaching Memorial Day holiday. The 2021 California crop projects more promotable volume compared to last year’s smaller crop, with good sizing and flavors predicted between now and mid-June.

Stemilt and its company-owned-and-managed orchards earned their Bee Friendly Farming certification earlier this month through Pollinator Partnership located in California. Pollinator Partnership and its Bee Friendly Farming program was created to help ensure the future of both pollinators and sustainable agriculture as it expands across North America and around the globe.

Harvest of the year’s first fresh cherries has begun in California’s southern-most growing areas and will soon be moving its way up the state.  

“We’re looking forward to 2021 being an excellent year for California cherries in terms of both volume and quality,”  said Chris Zanobini, executive director of the California Cherry Board.  “Statewide estimates are predicting a crop of 9.47 million 18-pound boxes, which is near the record produced in 2017.