CHELAN, WA - Summer is coming, and the heat has certainly been on for much of the Western region, though anyone will tell you that the temperatures depend on the week thus far! The bait-and-switch between cooler and warmer days has not tempered cherry demand, however—this fruit remains a premium category as harvest gets under way.

“We are blasting off right now, and once things have balanced out the season should be cruising,” Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh, shares, telling me cherries kicked off a little tight volume-wise but beautiful in quality. “Nothing ever aligns for a perfect start—you are typically over or under, and this time we were under. As always, though, we have been navigating to ensure our partners’ orders are filled as we get into the cherry craze.”

And “craze” truly is the perfect word to describe the demand that continues to exceed even strong volume year over year.

“We are definitely in that time right now when cherries are what is on everyone’s minds,” Mac agreed, sharing that recent hot weather might push harvest a bit but that, barring any large-scale surprises, the forecast on the horizon is rather clear for the cherry market.

Chelan Fresh offers many tailored packaging options for retailers, including 1, 2, 3, and 4 lb clamshells. The company also ships 1.25 lb bags for Rainiers and 2.25 lb bags for dark sweet cherries.

And, with a longstanding history of investing in diverse growing regions and advanced technology, as well as relationships with several grower families generations deep in Washington soil, high quality fruit is practically a promise.

So, as the cherries seem to say, bring on the heat!

Chelan Fresh