Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/506700
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MAY 15, 2015 21 are produced by a grower cooperative, as part of its mar- keting program. The production area itself, Flathead Lake, and its location near Glacier, makes it a popular tourist attrac- tion and resort, and local growers are selling more at roadside stands. Traditionally, growers in the area grew Lambert, which Edgington describes as "a really fine tasting variety that doesn't travel well." In 1989, unseasonal tempera- tures almost destroyed the industry, killing more than half the trees, but growers replanted, looking for later, firmer varieties. They planted mostly Lapins. "We don't tell our growers what to grow," Edgington said. "But we are encouraging them to plant varieties that are larger, firmer, sweeter, and that travel well and pack out nice." Today, Lapins makes up 64 percent of the cherries the co-op has to sell, he said, with Lambert still number two at 29 percent. The remaining seven percent is made up of Skeena, Sweetheart, Rainier, and Bing, with some growers trying Kootenay and Attika. Late market As growers in Washington have been planting later varieties to capture a later market, they have been invad- ing territory once conceded to Montana. So Montana growers have also been shifting to later varieties to keep the tradition of producing cherries worth the wait. Cherry harvest in Montana starts around July 20 with Lambert and continues with Lapins in early August and Skeena a week later. Sweetheart, the latest variety, picks around August 15. The goal is to have even later cherries to sell toward the end of August. Dr. Pat McGlynn, a Montana State University horti- culturist who worked with the cherry growers on variety trials, said the growers are trying to stay in a "sweet spot" in the production period—"just after Washington but not so late that the workers all leave to pick apples in Washington." As Washington plants at higher elevations to produce later cherries, the Flathead Lake growers haven't been able to do that, so they need to find later varieties. In the last few years, however, she sees a spirit of renewal and a lot of enthusiasm among Montana grow- ers as they experiment with later varieties on new train- ing systems to meet market demands for larger fruit that is available all the way to Labor Day. The association now has its own website, www. montanacherries.com, which Edgington maintains, containing promotional materials and videos aimed at consumers and produce buyers. The site identifies grower-members who have roadside stands and will ship smaller orders or will allow retailers to pick up cherries at their orchards. PHOTOS COURTESY PAT MCGLYNN Cody Herring has placed his and several other growers' sweet cherries into premium export markets through his Glacier Fresh packing operation. The fruit is trucked north into Canada and leaves by ship or airplane from the airport in Calgary. Let it rain Better Performance, Fewer Applications Better Cherries. New Enhanced Formulation Parka + is a trademark of Cultiva. SureSeal is a trademark of Oregon State University. Always read and follow label directions. ©2015 Cultiva. You know PARKA took cherry cracking suppression to a new level –– Now, based on 8 years of continued research from Cultiva and Oregon State University, new PARKA + takes rain cracking protection to an even higher level. Don't let Mother Nature split your profits. PARKA + forms a food grade, transparent and tasteless barrier that has been shown to reduce rain cracking by up to 50%. The unique elasticity of PARKA + allows a simple 2 application program starting at straw color while avoiding reactive sprays closer to harvest. Save time, money and headaches. Call your retailer to reserve your Parka + today. Another innovation from Cultiva, the people who bring you Pomcho ™ and BluGuard ™ . 888.638.1955 • www.cultivaipm.com • sales@cultivaipm.com