Rainier Cherries

It’s a perfect June day in Grandview, Washington. While most farmers across the heartland are planting, the Olmsteads are picking. Even though the weather’s good, Don Olmstead, Jr. is nervous because raising cherries is risky, to say the least.

He speaks from experience. Four generations of Olmsteads have grown cherries on the fertile slopes of the Yakima Valley. It’s been an 85-year-long roller coaster ride.

Problems with wind, rain and market prices can add up to no income for the year. For four years in a row awhile back it rained so much the crop almost got washed out. But despite the problems, the Olmsteads’ passion for growing premium Rainier cherries has never faded.

The Rainier is named after one of America’s tallest peaks: 14,000-foot Mount Rainier soaring into the sky west of Olmstead Orchards. One theory suggests the first tree sprung from the side of volcanic Mount Rainier itself and the soil transferred the fiery red gold color to the fruit.

The true story is more down to earth. Don says the Rainier was developed around forty years ago about eight miles from his farm. It’s a cross between several different kinds of cherries including the popular Bing.

Each Rainier cherry must be picked by hand, placed in buckets—by the stem only—and packed in boxes right in the field. They’re shipped worldwide and the Olmsteads have a bustling internet business where customers can have fresh cherries shipped right to their homes.

Don’s cherries may be picked by hand but he relies on high-tech instruments to keep the crop coming in. Equipment monitors temperature, leaf moisture, rainfall, wind speed, and wind direction.

Additional information:
The Olmsteads love what they do and hope to keep this family business going for a long time to come. Find out more about their farm and Rainier cherries by going to www.olmsteadorchards.com