According to the USDA’s July 3 report, Wisconsin’s tart cherry production for 2012 is forecast at 500,000 pounds. If realized, this will be a 93 percent de‐crease from last year’s production. This year is forecasted to be one of the smallest tart cherry crops in Wisconsin history. Wisconsin experienced an early, warm spring that caused the trees to bud early. However, after the bud stage, growers experienced multiple weeks of nights with below freezing temperatures that all but ruined the 2012 crop.
United States tart cherry production is forecast at 73.1 mil‐ lion pounds, down 68 percent from the 2011 production. In Michigan, normally the largest producing state, record high temperatures in early spring led to premature development of trees. This was followed by below normal temperatures and continual frost events throughout the state. Additionally, pollination conditions were poor. The majority of growers lost all of their harvestable crop this year. In Washington, winter conditions were moderate and warm spring condi‐ tions allowed for an excellent bloom. Weather during the bloom period was mild, allowing for good pollination. All areas of New York were hit extremely hard with freezing temperatures that followed warm March weather. This weather sequence resulted in a record low production forecast.