Great news for those adding cherries to the Fourth of July menu. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
The summertime treat of fresh cherries is abundant for this Independence Day. The USDA forecast for sweet cherries this season is expected to be about 371 million tons, which is a 60 percent increase from last year.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) says the increase is from a rebound in Washington State’s crop from last year. Another major cherry-producing state, California also saw big increases in sweet cherry production this year. Lance Honig of the National Agricultural Statistics Service says it’s just in time, as sweet cherries are considered by some to be associated with Independence Day celebrations and summer.
“It’s a very common item that we’ll see on the menu if you’re having those backyard barbecues or other things around the Fourth of July and they’re a great fit for that. The timing is perfect for that as well,” he said. “So when we look at that crop, it’s kind of peak harvest time right around them basically the latter half of June rolling into that first part of July. That’s the peak harvest season, so it really lines up perfectly.”
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.