Michigan accounts for over 70% of the national tart cherry harvest, producing and harvesting around 201 million pounds of cherries on average, making us the national leader in tart cherry production.

In addition to tart cherries, which are excellent in baking, salads, dressings, and smoothies; we also produce around 50 million pounds of sweet cherries (putting the state 4th nationwide in production) , which are perfect for snacking, and of course, ice cream! Most of the state’s cherries are sold canned, frozen, or processed, but if you are near Traverse City right after cherry harvest, you can commonly find roadside stands selling cherries fresh from the orchard.

In total, Michigan has 36,000 acres of cherry orchards. Since the Grand Traverse Bay area is home to the majority of Michigan’s cherry orchards, Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital of the World and hosts the National Cherry Festival every year. On average, the cherry industry adds around $280 million to the economy every year, with the National Cherry Festival accounting for an additional average of $19 million annually.

-Marcus and Kaitlyn