DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The season for tart cherry picking is underway in Door County.
At Meleddy Cherry Farm, near Forestville, fruit has been growing and ripening in the sun for a couple months. Owner Tom Selvick says it was a long cool spring, but this summer’s cherry product look good.
“I got a fairly heavy crop. Any heavier, and there would be trees on the ground already. If we get a high wind, there would be an issue. I got trees with over 200 pounds on them,” said Tom Selvick, Meleddy Cherry Farm Owner.
The 40-acre orchard opened on Saturday. Jackie Sanderfoot and her husband Dennis Sanderfoot make the trip from the Fox Valley every July.
“We just started picking. Everything looks good. I’ve had a few to eat already, and they taste delicious,” said Dennis Sanderfoot, Town of Buchanan.
“It’s like one of my favorite fruits. They’re absolutely delicious, and we do this every year. We pack our freezer full of food, and you get to eat it all year,” said Jackie Sanderfoot, Town of Buchanan.
Selvick says Montmorency Tart Cherries are typically used to bake pies, or make jellies and jams, but they do have a drawback.
“The picking is easy, but taking the pits out with a hairpin, or whatever you use, takes a long time,” he said.
He says two industrial pitting machines are working to help.
“We pit them in 20 seconds, maybe. The whole pail,” said Selvick.
Meanwhile, picking continues, but Selvick says the season at Meleddy Cherry Farm may not last very long.
“I was hoping to get three weekends out of it, but that might be a little optimistic. But right now, everything looks good,” he said.
Door County Cherry farmers say growing conditions can change on a daily basis, so it’s a good idea to call ahead before visiting the orchards.
