FARMER IN THE FIELD Sweet, Lucious Cherries
by Bonnie Swank
SwankFarms.com
T
he first “Farmer in the Field” article I wrote three years ago was on cherries. Because there is so much to learn about cherries I decided to revisit them. Due to the crazy weather we have been having this year the season has been late but by now I am sure many of you have bought cherries at the farmers market. Where have they been coming from? California cherries start in the Bakersfield area and work their way up the San Joaquin valley ripening as the weather warms. In
San Benito County where we are locat- ed nights are cooled by the fog as our coastal air conditioning creeps over the hills at night, and our orchard is nestled in a protective area where the morning fog burns off later. All this makes for a good cherry but also makes us one of the last farms in California to pick these tasty morsels.
There are so many variables to growing cherries. Did we get enough chill hours in the winter? Trees need approximately 860 hours of weather 40º or less to produce a good crop. Did the bees do their job and pollinate the orchard? Too much fruit on the trees means smaller fruit and less fruit equals larger fruit (we like larger fruit). What if
there’s a late rain and the fruit cracks? How much of our crop will we loose? Because we grow six different varieties of cherries our season can last up to six weeks and we usually hold our breath until the last box is picked and sold. Cherries are an important crop to Swank Farms and can set the stage for the rest of the year.
There are so many wonderful vari- eties to choose from you’re sure to find a favorite.
And when buying cherries remem- ber they should be firm and crunchy, not soft. What can cause soft fruit? Cold storage and picking during HOT weather. Enjoy the season!
~ Bonnie and her husband Dick Swank are owners of Swank Farms in Hollister. To learn more visit
SwankFarms.com or contact them at: 831-637-4704.
10 June 2011 • Out & About
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