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It’s cherry season on the Old Mission Peninsula! If you’re wondering where to get U-Pick cherries, here’s a round-up of farms below. Be sure and follow their Facebook pages to stay up-to-date on fruit availability and hours.
And if I’ve left anyone out, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this story, or email me at [email protected] and I’ll add you.
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Santucci Farm
11789 Center Road; Facebook Page; [email protected]; (517) 974-7233.
Schedule and Hours: See below.
They will be open for picking sweet cherries on Saturday, July 3, at 10 a.m. There are a limited number of cherries, as most of the early varieties were severely impacted by the frosts in late April and early May.
“We have a normal crop of tart and Balaton cherries, but a light crop of sweet cherries,” says owner Marc Santucci. “We look forward to seeing everyone again this season, and as always, there will be plenty of home-made jam to purchase.”
After July 3, their next picking day will be Sunday, July 11, at 10 a.m., at which time they’ll remain open until the season is over (call for hours).
Prices this year are $2/lb. for sweet cherries, $1.50/lb. for Balaton cherries, and $1.25/lb. for tart cherries. The pitter will be operating at a cost of .20/lb. to pit tart and Balaton cherries. The pitter cannot pit sweet cherries.
Russell’s TC U-Pick
7178 Center Road; Facebook Page; [email protected].
Schedule and Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
They offer U-Pick cherries, both sweet and tart, in season. From their Facebook page yesterday: “Most of the fruit has good size, and flavor is excellent! There are red tart cherries that are ready, too, but you’ll have to search out the ripest trees.”
Before heading over, check their Facebook page to see fruit conditions and what’s available.
Price: $16 for a 10 quart pail, $8 for 5 quarts. (From their Facebook page, about the higher prices than previous years: “I hate to do this, but with a smaller crop this year, I won’t even be able to pay for my chemicals at last year’s U-Pick prices.”)
Third Coast Fruit Co. (Wunsch Farms/Wilson Orchards)
555 Wilson Road; Facebook Page; CherryUPick.com; FAQs; [email protected].
Schedule and Hours: July 2 – Aug 15, 2021, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They will also be open July 4 and July 5.
The Wunsch’s sixth generation family farm offers a wide variety of cherries and expert guidance to help you find “the freshest and most delicious cherries you’ve ever eaten,” notes their website.
Dark sweet, light sweet, and baking cherries are all available in their orchard, and other seasonal local produce is available at their stand. They provide everything you need for picking right there.
Prices:
- Cherry Walk: $5/person. Tour the whole farm and eat as many cherries as you want while you enjoy the scenery.
- U-Pick: $3 per person + $3.50/lb. ($3 is waived if you pick more than 5 lbs.)
- Kids are free
Cherry Connection of Edmondson Orchards
12414 Center Road; Facebook; (231) 223-7130.
Schedule and Hours: Open daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Hours may vary depending on fruit availablity and inclement weather.
In addition to locally-grown cherries ($3/lb.), they also offer a variety of other fruits and veggies in season, including apples, apricots, blackberries, nectarines, peaches, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, squash and tomatoes.
Their U-Pick Raspberry Patch is located on Center Road near the intersection of Blue Water Road.
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SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
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