Photo: The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City is always great fun. Pictured here are the author’s grandsons with their cup of fresh cherries at the 2023 festival. Photo by Doug Marrin.

From a single tree planted by a missionary in 1852 to producing 75% of the country’s tart cherries, here’s a look at how Michigan became the heart of America’s cherry production.

By Doug Marrin, Editor

“Cherry, baby” – Neil Diamond

It’s cherry season in Michigan, and oh how sweet it is.

Michigan, the land of shimmering lakes, roaring motors, and soulful music is also home to a delightfully tangy fruit – the cherry. Our Great Lake State is the very heart of America’s cherry production.

In the quiet days of 1852, amid Michigan’s wild landscapes, a Presbyterian missionary named Peter Dougherty planted cherry trees on Old Mission Peninsula, close to Traverse City. It might have been divine intervention or simply an ingenious horticultural decision, but his cherry trees blossomed against all odds and thrived. This delightful surprise led the other residents to catch cherry fever, and soon cherry trees were sprouting all over the peninsula.

The magic ingredient for cherries in this area turned out to be the mother lake herself, Michigan. The lake’s effect on winter Arctic winds and summer heat made the region a cherry-growing heaven. It was like the trees had found their own Eden.

Fast-forward a few decades, and by 1893, Michigan was home to its first commercial tart cherry orchards, situated on Ridgewood Farm, near the original site of Dougherty’s plantings. The cherry industry grew rapidly from there, flourishing along the Lake Michigan shoreline from Traverse City to Elk Rapids and Benton Harbor. And before you could say “Water Winter Wonderland,” Michigan was the cherry capital of America.

Unless you’re a Michigander newbie, you probably know that Traverse City, nestled in the Fruit Belt (or Fruit Ridge) of western Michigan, is the epicenter of Michigan’s cherry production. Each July, the city decks up for the National Cherry Festival. This eight-day extravaganza, hosting 150 events, draws over 500,000 visitors from far and wide. This year (2023), the celebration runs July 1-8.

Here are a few more zingy Michigan cherry facts:

1. Michigan contributes a substantial part of its agricultural prowess to the fruit, harvesting an impressive 90,000 tons of cherries annually.
2. The folk tale of George Washington chopping down a cherry tree is a fabrication by Parson Mason Weems, a biographer, to emphasize Washington’s honesty. However, this association has led to National Cherry Month celebrations coinciding with Washington’s birthday.
3. At one time, it was against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas. The state revels in difficulties. It’s in their state motto.
4. Michigan houses over 35,000 acres of tart cherry trees and grows nearly 75% of the country’s tart cherries.
5. An average tart cherry tree bears about 7,000 cherries, enough to bake 28 pies.
6. On July 25, 1987, Cherry Festival participants in Traverse City earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for baking the world’s largest cherry pie, which was 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m) in diameter and weighed 28,350 pounds.
7. Michigan’s cherry industry is a big deal, but it also has a big adversary – late spring frost. This unwelcome chill can devastate an entire season’s cherry harvest. The state bore the brunt of this in 2012, losing over 90% of the crop.
8. Cherries are part of the stone fruit family, which includes plums, peaches, and nectarines. Our love affair with this fruit dates back to the Stone Age.
9. Cherries were a prized food in China dating back to 600 BCE and were introduced to Europe around 74 BCE by Roman General Lucullus. The English colonists brought cherries to North America in the 1600s.
10. The name “cherry” originates from the Turkish town of Cerasus. Turkey is the world’s largest cherry grower.
11. Tart cherries are nutrition powerhouses, brimming with antioxidants and essential nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, and fiber. That’s why the Montmorency tart cherry has earned a super cool title – “America’s Superfruit.”
12. A growing number of elite athletes and everyday exercisers are incorporating tart cherries into their training routines, as studies have shown that tart cherry juice may help reduce strength loss and aid recovery after extensive exercise.
13. Research indicates that tart cherry juice may improve the quality and duration of sleep.
14. Michigan State University’s Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center conducts extensive research on cherries, focusing on topics such as pest management, tree physiology, and new varieties. This work helps ensure the sustainability and future success of the cherry industry in Michigan.

And that’s just a taste of the Great Lake State’s cherry story. So, next time you indulge in a cherry delicacy, remember that you’re not just enjoying a treat – you’re savoring a slice of Michigan’s fruitful legacy.