Cold spring cuts Northern Michigan cherry crop far below demand

Leelanau Fruit Company is estimating a 40 million-pound tart cherry crop this year, far short of the 230 million pounds Northern Michigan needs to meet demand. In Grand Traverse County, that gap will show up not just in orchards, but at farm markets, roadside stands, processors and the Cherry Festival-season shelves that usually fill with local fruit.

Traverse City sits at the center of the region’s cherry identity, and the timing makes the short crop especially visible. The National Cherry Festival is marking its 100th annual event July 4-11, 2026, in downtown Traverse City, where cherries are more than a crop. They are part of the summer economy, pulling traffic to businesses that rely on visitors looking for pies, juice, jam, dried cherries and souvenirs tied to the area’s signature fruit. A smaller harvest means less local product to sell, tighter supplies for processors and more pressure on prices as the festival season gets underway.

The weather stress hit the crop early. MSU Extension said temperatures in northwest Michigan swung from the mid-80s to below freezing in recent weeks, a range that hurt fruit set during bloom. Nikki Rothwell, with MSU Extension, has said bees fly best when it is above 60 degrees and sunny, which made pollination difficult during the cold, rainy stretch. MSU Extension says bloom is over and the cherries that are coming are now sizing, but the reduced set has already limited what growers can bring to market.

The 2026 shortage follows another weak year for the industry. Cherry Industry Administrative Board data showed Michigan tart cherry production at 109 million pounds in 2025, down from 178 million pounds the year before. Regional expectations put northwest Michigan at about 40 million pounds this season, with west-central Michigan at 4 million pounds and southwest Michigan at 2 million pounds. Michigan remains the nation’s leading tart cherry producer, but the numbers point to a supply chain that is still operating well below demand.

For growers, the smaller crop means less revenue from each acre at a time when labor, packing and marketing costs remain high. For u-pick operations and roadside stands, it means fewer cherries for visitors who expect to find local fruit in July. For processors and retailers, it means more imported product, more pricing changes and fewer Michigan cherries available to anchor the region’s summer tourism image.