Plan to pick cherries in Door County as soon as this weekend, according Dean Volenberg, UW Extension Ag Agent. Volenberg says the harvest is about two weeks ahead of normal meaning sweet cherries could be ready this weekend and tart will be ready cherries the middle of July.
The heat is pushing the harvest not the moisture, “In fact we would like to see the rain actually taper off because that can cause especially sweet cherries to start splitting because they take on water quickly,” says Volenberg.
The county is expecting around 3.8 million pounds of tart cherries which is about a two-thirds reduction to last year which was a boom year. The yield reduction is being attributed to freezing weather in May which froze the buds.
Business wise Volenberg says the shorter time the crop is in the field the better for the farmers.
Experts say the harvest is the earliest it’s been in 35 years.
