Food - Drink
Which US State Produces The Most Cherries?
By SHAYE GLISSON
Have you ever thought about where those juicy, tart cherries you love actually come from? Well, that tasty little fruit actually demands specific growing conditions to acquire its tart, sweet flavor.
Early settlers brought cherries to America in the 1600s, and modern cherry production began in the mid-1800s, with Peter Dougherty planting the first cherries in Michigan in 1852. Little did he know that Michigan would be the country's top cherry producer a century and a half later.
With Oregon and Washington closely following it, Michigan's production was up 39% by 2021, citing 96.6 million pounds produced. The weather near Lake Michigan is perfect for growing cherry trees due to the lake's effect on Arctic winds and the summer heat, and the state provides the U.S. with 70% of its tart cherries annually.