Looking Back on Our 2025 Flathead Cherry Season

July 20, 2025.

What a rollercoaster this year’s cherry season has been! It all kicked off early with a warm spring pushing our bloom about a week ahead of schedule. After last year’s tough freeze — remember that brutal -20°F that wiped out so many fruit buds? — we were thrilled to see our trees bounce back with an absolutely massive bloom. The orchard was bursting with cherry blossoms and fruit buds, and we were hopeful for a great harvest.

But then the weather kept us on our toes. June started off hot and dry before settling into a mild, rainy summer. Around the Fourth of July, we had some hail and windstorms that bruised a few cherries. Then July brought lots of rain, including one day that dumped a full inch of water. Unfortunately, that rain caused a lot of our cherries’ skin to split, leading to about a 90% loss of our crop. It was heartbreaking.

Still, we didn’t let that stop us. Our U-Pick event was a huge highlight of the season — roughly 300 people came out to pick cherries, enjoy the orchard, and learn about how we grow using regenerative practices. On the commercial side, we managed to harvest over 7,000 pounds of cherries. Combining U-Pick and commercial harvests, we picked over 10,500 pounds — and that’s only from about one-fifth of our orchard! This means our total crop was around 50,000 pounds, which is a really strong rebound compared to past years.

For a little perspective, back in 2023, we harvested 16,000 pounds from about three-quarters of the orchard. So even with all the challenges this year, the trees gave us a lot to work with.

Sadly, the early bloom and weather disruptions meant we couldn’t participate in any farmers markets this season. But we’re grateful for the amazing people who visited for U-Pick and for everyone who supported us through our commercial harvest.

Thank you all for being part of this journey. We’re already looking forward to a stronger, healthier 2026 season!