When people think of Michigan, they often think of cherries ... and with good reason. No area of the world produces more red tart cherries. Every year in early July, people flock to beautiful Traverse City (the "Cherry Capital of the World") to celebrate this favorite fruit at the National Cherry Festival.

In 2003, Michigan produced 154 million pounds of red tart cherries. That's a lot of cherries (68 percent of the national crop), but production was down considerably from 2001, when Michigan produced 297 million pounds. In 2002, the tart cherry crop was even smaller (15 million pounds) due to spring frosts with prolonged temperatues below freezing greatly damaging the crop.

Research on the health benefits of tart cherries continues to show that cherry products may relieve the pain of arthritis and gout and may help prevent cancer and heart disease. You can get more information about the health benefits of tart cherries from the Michigan Cherry Committee.

Michigan ranks fourth in the nation in production of sweet cherries. In 2003, 26 million pounds were produced with most going into processed products, such as ice cream and yogurt. In 2002, the sweet cherry crop was also smaller than usual, with a production of only 5.4 million pounds.

For more information about Michigan cherries, contact the
Michigan Cherry Committee

Cherry Recipes