That’s news to most folks, even in cherry-rich Leelanau County, We don’t think of farming as being competitive. But somewhere up the food chain of marketing, shelf space is merciless. The winners prosper; the losers go broke.
There’s a lot to be said about the similarities between blueberries and cherries. They make great pies, and they power pastries. By themselves and with decidedly less sugar, they co-claim the title of Super Fruit with proven health rewards that come just short of curing warts and reversing hair loss.
Those last benefits are a stretch — sort of. Cherry and blueberry industries have commissioned hundreds of studies proving that their fruits prevent cancer, control inflammation and promote heart health. From preventing gout to easing menstrual cramps, you wonder if Ponce de Leon would have ended his search had he wondered upon a blueberry patch or cherry orchard.
But in terms of domestic popularity, blueberries have done well while cherries have languished.
Over a ten-year period that includes most of the last decade, year-round consumption of fresh blueberries tripled with both domestic and South American growers contributing.
Cherry consumption, meanwhile, floundered. The 3-year sales average for tart cherries leading to 2020 was 224.8 million pounds; it dropped to 194.2 million pounds in 2023. Meanwhile, production of tarts increased from 206 million pounds in 2023 to 263 million pounds last summer. Statistics are provided by the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (CIAB).
That’s not sustainable. To be fair, blueberries have capitalized on their fresh market opportunities, something unavailable to cherries that are predominantly grown in the northern hemisphere. But there’s more involved. All that growth has funded a bigger marketing campaign, which has allowed the blueberry to better tell its story. Search online for blueberries and you’ll be overwhelmed with health reasons to eat them. While cherries can boast of the same benefits, they lack capital to do so in a loud voice.
That all sounds ominous. But it’s short of overwhelming. The cherry industry is presenting a moving target to its problems.
The most recent change was the hiring of Amy Cohn as president of the Cherry Marketing Institute and the CIAB. She fits none of the typical models for past cherry leaders, and that’s not a knock on them. She’s the first person to head both groups at once, a benefit in itself.
When asked what she’s learned in her first weeks on the job, her reply hit the bullseye. “That (growers) need a higher return on their investment. It’s crystal clear to me.”
A dietitian by training, she’s proving to be part industry coach, marketer, energizer, psychiatrist and Hallmark author. She knows cherry growers — or more specifically, their warm-and-fuzzy family stories — can form a powerful bond with consumers. If anyone can get grocery stores beyond Traverse City to listen, it might be her.
Other positive changes are in play. The Cherry Growers Alliance — recently formed by Leisa Eckerle-Hankins, the daughter of a generational Suttons Bay cherry grower — is poised to make a long run toward bettering returns.
Tart cherry export rumblings continue. Sorry, Poland.
The cherry industry is poised this year to pore $400,000 more into studies and marketing through a new agency.
And you get the feeling that people who can make a difference understand that the battle of Waterloo for the cherry industry has begun.
We concur. They say good investors never sell in a down market, which may be why many cherry growers haven’t bailed. And they say cherry growers don’t gamble in casinos because …. why would they?
One last thing. Journalists say newspapers shouldn’t be cheerleaders. Still, Leelanau grows more cherries than any other county in America.
That makes cherries the home team. You can have your blueberries. Leelanau needs blossoms on her hillsides.
