Mary and Roger Odell sort through bins of recently picked cherries. Amber Schlenker photo

By Amber Schlenker

A cooler Spring season brought this year’s cherry crop a little late.

Roger and Mary Odell began harvesting on their leased property last week. 

“The weather was so cold, we just didn’t have the greatest weather for growing,” property owner Jeannine Merry said. 

Merry and the Odell’s agree the last harvest resulted in fewer cherries, but this year they are larger. 

“They are finally ready and they look beautiful,” Merry added. 

Hummingbird Enterprises, operated by Mary and Roger Odell has been growing cherries for years now. Mary Odell said this year the weather caused several setbacks that caused the later cherry harvest.  

“Since it was cold it resulted in poor pollination weather for the bees,” Odell said. 

Due to the weather there is less harvest, but according to Odell the fruit is larger. 

“This is the nicest fruit I think we’ve ever picked out of here,” she said. 

Though their orchard was fruitful, Odell said other growers in the valley had no results. 

“It was a hard year with the weather being so poor,” she added. 

Friday, July 1, Hummingbird Enterprises had more pickers as the season is getting in gear. 

Sophia Hunt, a picker for Hummingbird Enterprises has been picking seasonally for nearly two years. 

“Usually when our cherries are ready, so are our raspberries,” Merry said. 

Hummingbird Enterprises ships their fruit to Valley Fruit located in Wapato. Odell expects around 40-50 bins of fruit to be harvested this year. In a year with good weather the harvest will total more than 80 bins. 

“Hopefully the price will reflect that,” she said.