The Goliaths of the cherry industry are talking.
A zoom meeting was held earlier this week by members of the Cherry Marketing Institute, whose executive director recently resigned, and the executive committee of the Cherry Industry Administrative board.
“The goal is to find possible redundancies, efficiencies, and points for collaboration,” the CMI board stated in a press release. “This is a key project for the industry, and we expect it may take some time. If you have any thoughts for consideration, we welcome your input.”
Also in the communication mix are representatives of the Michigan Farm Bureau, the release continues.
CMI’s mission is to increase the sale of cherries both domestically and globally, with the end result creating more demand to increase the prices paid to growers. The CIAB also promotes marketing and research, although it’s more commonly known for enforcement of a marketing order that during bumper crops requires some cherries not to be sold in the open market. Like CMI, the goal is to increase cherry prices, but by reducing supply.
Despite the efforts, cherry prices have declined in recent years, causing concern that the industry is in jeopardy. Leelanau grows more cherries than any other county in the USA.
The CIAB will hold its quarterly meeting today in a zoom format that is open to the public.
Locally, a loose-knit group self-named the “cherry grower alliance” has scheduled a second meeting for Wednesday, April 10, at Keswick United Methodist Church in Bingham Township. Legacy cherry farmer Leisa Eckerle Hankins, who also owns the Benjamin Twiggs retail store in Traverse City, is facilitating the meeting. Its purpose will be to clarify the purpose of the group, organize issues and form a plan to solve them, and to meet other farmers. She is asking farmers to RSVP her at [email protected].
