Picking your own cherries in Door County? Here's how the crops look this year

Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·6 min read

DOOR COUNTY - For the next few weeks, cherries won't be the only things found in abundance in orchards across Door County.

The fruits will be joined by thousands of residents and visitors armed with pails as they search for and pick the best ones for themselves.

With the pick-your-own cherry season underway on the Peninsula, here's what you need to know before heading out into the orchards.

So how's the cherry crop this year?

Maahi Rana, 9, of Des Plaines, Illinois, hands cherries she picked to her sister, Archi, at Choice Orchards on July 6, 2023, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Maahi Rana, 9, of Des Plaines, Illinois, hands cherries she picked to her sister, Archi, at Choice Orchards on July 6, 2023, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

It depends which orchard owner or manager you ask, but in general, it seems the number of cherries is a little down from usual, especially the popular, later-season tart cherries.

That's because of the weather, of course. Door County had some unusually cool weather in late April and early May that included a night of frost. And while temperatures rose into the high 70s and 80s in June and the first week of July, that came with two rainless stretches of about 10 days each.

How much harm the cool weather and droughts caused again depends who you ask. But the cool weather, especially the frost, was the biggest troublemaker.

David Willming, owner of Paradise Farms Orchard in Brussels, said he wasn't sure for a while if his orchards would hold a pick-your-own season.

"We had a pretty late frost. I thought we wouldn't even have a crop," Willming said. "But then we got warmer, got a little bit of rain."

And Lautenbach's Orchard Country in Fish Creek, whose pick-your-own season generally lasts several weeks, posted on its website that this year's season will run just one weekend, July 22 and 23 (while supplies last), because the late freeze and dry spells limited its crop.

Debbie Musil, manager of Choice Orchards in Sturgeon Bay, said the orchards' cherry crops were hurt by the lengthy dry spells.

"But then we got one-and-a-half inches, another three-quarters of an inch three weeks later, so that helped," she said.

However, Tracy Robertoy, part-owner and manager of Hyline Orchard Farm Market in Fish Creek, said the cooler weather in the spring, especially the late frost, caused more issues than the dry spell. She said smaller trees are hurt more by dry spells because the larger ones will suck up the moisture from the ground before the smaller ones can get at it.

Willming said the drought helped in some ways.

"It was actually a blessing," he said. "The more damp it is, you get more fungus, more bugs."

Tart vs. sweet cherries: What's the outlook this year?

Despite the difficult weather, the number of sweet cherries available for picking is strong, while the number of tart cherries, including Door County's popular Montmorency, might be lower than usual, orchard owners and staff said.

Gavin Jorns, of Schartner's Farm Market in Egg Harbor, said sweet cherries, which generally ripen before tart cherries, have done well this year, but the tart crops are behind their usual numbers, both at Schartner's and other orchards.

"Everyone I talked to (at other orchards) said the sweets are nice but the tarts, not so good," Jorns said. "The tarts are a decent crop, not good but not bad."

But are the cherries good this year?

Oh yeah, orchard folks said. The past month of hot weather helped the fruits ripen well. Even if quantities are down, the quality reportedly is up to par.

"(The cherries at Hyline) are coming along pretty good," Robertoy said, "… looking better and better every day."

"It's not as big a quantity as usual," Willming said, "but the quality is good."

What to know before you go

Interested pickers should call the orchards or visit their websites, especially their Facebook pages, for the latest information, including projected opening and closing dates. Picking season can run anywhere from a week or just under a month, depending on the size of the orchards, the number of customers, type of cherries (the tart cherry season usually runs longer than sweet cherry season) and how long cherries remain available.

A number of orchards accept cash or check only for payment. Dress for being in the outdoors, potentially under the sun, for an hour or more. Some places allow pickers to take vehicles into the orchards for those with accessibility issues, but pickers should check before going.

Also, remember that most orchards offer pre-picked fresh cherries for sale as well as other cherry goods.

General countywide information also is available at facebook.com/doorcountycherries.

Door County pick-your-own orchards

Dipali Rana of Des Plaines, Illinois, picks cherries at Choice Orchards on July 6, 2023, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.
Dipali Rana of Des Plaines, Illinois, picks cherries at Choice Orchards on July 6, 2023, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Here's a list of cherry orchards holding pick-your-own seasons in Door County, gathered from websites and phone calls.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County pick-your-own cherry season has arrived. Here's your guide