California cherry season has a noteworthy early opening at Meena Farms, a Merced County-based operation. Chris Medeiros, general manager, is quick to credit all the hard work, investment and sweat equity that goes into producing cherries at a high-level, and also explained that sometimes it simply comes down to where you are located.

International Fruit Genetics LLC, which boasts more than 48 patented table grape varieties and 10 patented sweet cherry varieties, is expanding its low-chill cherry program and closing a critical gap that has eluded retailers and cherry lovers for years. Given that IFG’s low-chill cherries are all early harvest, retailers can now offer more IFG cherry varietals much earlier in the season, providing a make-or-break experience that will entice the public to return for future purchases.

This season, Rivermaid Trading is drawing attention to its California Cherries, backed by the same quality assurance as the state’s No.1 grower-shipper of its renowned California Pears. Kyle Persky, sales manager at Rivermaid said, “We had good chill and good conditions — all of those things set us up for some really high-quality eating fruit.”

As the cherry season begins in California, Stemilt Growers (headquartered in Wenatchee, WA) is poised to bring consumers their “World Famous” California cherries. Leveraging it’s commitment to new plantings, high-end varieties, and uniform growing practices, Stemilt is excited to offer an extensive cherry program running May 1 through Labor Day –– a timeline unrivaled by US shippers.

Morada Produce is primed for the start of its California Cherry season, brimming with confidence at the prospects of a plentiful harvest. Mike Jameson, director of sales and marketing at the Linden, CA based operation, said “the California season is shaping up to have a very nice crop spread out throughout the San Joaquin Valley.” Preliminary projections suggest a crop that is above average, with sufficient volume to support extended promotional activities. 

Linden, CA-based Primavera Marketing has been representing growers up and down the state of California — from the earliest districts all the way up to the San Joaquin Valley — since 1990. The company handles cherries, apples and walnuts, according to president and owner Rich Sambado, who noted that this year’s California cherry crop is off to a late start.

“If I had this call three weeks ago, I’d probably be more optimistic about timing,” Sambado said to The Produce News on Tuesday, March 28.