With more than a month left in cherry harvest season in Washington state, The Packer’s Tom Karst caught up with a busy Kyle Mathison, fourth-generation grower with Stemilt Growers on July 16.
While the cell phone reception was patchy, Mathison talked about the progress of cherry harvest on Stemilt Hill near Wenatchee and the July 22 inaugural Stemilt U: Virtual Cherry College webinar. Find registration for the 60-minute event here.
Mathison, son of Stemilt’s late founder, Tom Mathison, and the father of current president, West Mathison and director of sales, Tate Mathison, talked about what he loves about growing cherries and the challenges this year has presented.
“I think the thing I love most is getting up in early in the morning, and you’re out there with the pickers looking for the best fruit to pick that day,” Mathison said. “My passion is not picking cherries; it is picking World Famous cherries.”
Stemilt’s Cherry College will feature videos of Tate Mathison and Kyle Mathison, talking about how cherries are harvested, hydrocooled and packed. Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Stemilt, will share best practices for marketing and merchandising cherries and host a question and answer session.
The Packer’s Northwest Cherry Coverage
