Come July, cherries are everywhere here. Sweet. Sour. Deep maroon, golden yellow and even blush pink. Michigan is the second largest grower of cherries in the nation and we're home to the National Cherry Festival. But why?

In this episode we tell you the story of our favorite little stone fruit, the cherry. How did it get here? And how did Michigan become synonymous with cherries?

GUESTS:

Chris Reiser, president for the Peter Dougherty Society.
Nikki Rothwell, 2025 Cherry Industry Person of the year and Michigan State University's extension specialist in tree fruit integrated pest management.
Jim Eckerle, farmer and owner of Eckerle Farms in Leelanau County & Suttons Bay.
Zach Eckerle, grandson of Jim Eckerle and future owner of Eckerle Farms.

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