Stemilt Growers will have its prized high-elevation cherries into the last week of August, says Brianna Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based marketer.
“We save the best cherries for last with A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries,” Shales said in a news release.
The final orchards to harvest in Stemilt’s cherry season, A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries are grown by fourth-generation Stemilt farmer Kyle Mathison, who harvests the cherries at high elevations to extend the season, according to the release.
“Kyle grows these cherries with the cycles of the moon, waiting for the perfect time to harvest when the gravitational pull is the strongest pulling the most aromatics and sugars into the fruit,” Shales said.
Grown in Wenatchee, the cherries are grown at elevations of 2,640 feet (half a mile above sea level and higher), the release said.
Late-blooming cherry varieties like skeena, Staccato and Sentennial thrive in nutrient-rich soil and optimal growing conditions to provide a premium eating experience, according to the release.
“The A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherry label is a way retailers can call attention to late-season cherries,” Shales said. “An ideal growing season with brilliant weather has encouraged larger fruit sizes this year. A combination of warm days and cool nights has been prominent which will lend to cherries with higher aromatics, sugars, and rich, dark color.”
Cherry dollars are only available to capture for a few months out of the year, so any time retailers can extend the season with something special is incremental, the release said.
“It’s easy to let A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries stand out in high-graphic boxes they’re packed in and their own catch-weight branded bag,” Shales said. “A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries can help make up for any deflation retailers have experienced earlier in the season, and those who carry them can sell for more with a premium product.”
Beyond the store, there are two windows to celebrate A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries with consumers, including National Chant at the Moon Day on Aug. 15 and Labor Day on Sept. 4, the release said.
“As consumers take the first bite into these special cherries, they’ll experience an explosion of aromatics, sugars, acids and juiciness that can’t be found any other time of the year,” Shales said. “We can’t think of a better way to end the season than with A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries that delight consumers with flavors from the moon.”
