By Bill O'Brien
bobrien@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — Expect fresh local cherries for the National Cherry Festival, local growers say.
It's one bit of good news from fickle spring weather that's created havoc for northern Michigan's fruit crops.
The region's signature summer festival often ships in fruit from southern Michigan or other states because its opener in early July often precedes northern Michigan's cherry harvest. That won't be the case this year.
"There's going to be cherries for the Cherry Festival," Acme Township grower Dennis Hoxsie said.
Historical temperature data from the National Weather Service office in Gaylord showed Traverse City's average daily temperature of 42.7 from January through May was more than 5 degrees warmer than long-term normal temperatures.
That's the warmest such period since 1896 and helped push the region's cherry crop development almost two weeks ahead of schedule.
National Cherry Festival Executive Director Tim Hinkley said board members in the cherry industry recently told officials to expect locally grown cherries in time for this year's 84th annual event, scheduled for July 3-10.
"We were excited about that," Hinkley said. "Last year we shipped in cherries from Grand Rapids, and we heard about it."
