Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: When the Crop Is Beautiful but the Check Is Ugly

The 2025 Northwest cherry harvest is wrapping up. The trees gave us some of the best fruit we’ve seen in years—firm, sweet, and picture-perfect. But once again, growers across the region are left shaking their heads and tightening their belts. Because what came in the paycheck didn’t reflect the quality of the crop.