COPYRIGHT 2024 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
RICHLAND, Wash. --- Cherry harvest season is upon us, but there are changes this year for farmers. One being the weather, the other; a new state law passed in Washington state regarding how many hours farm workers can pick each day.
Apple Valley News Now's Austin Reed met with the owner of Ray French Orchard, on Harvest Lane, in Richland.
"I have to say that it looks good, with size and taste. The sugar is almost there," said Robin French, who owns Ray French Orchards.
"Cherries are already blooming and they should be ready to pick, sometime next week," French went onto say.
Washington state is the top U.S.A producer of sweet cherries. The Washington and Oregon sweet cherry industries employ 20,000 people. In January of this year, farmers are now required to pay workers overtime when they log more than 40 hours PER week.
"Have you heard about that? Yeah. Is that impacting you guys? (asked by our Austin Reed).
"No, not really. we can work around it. The larger orchards are more impacted than us," French said.
What's always a factor: the weather.
Ray French Orchards told us they plan to open the farm for cherry picking by Monday (June 10, 2024).
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COPYRIGHT 2024 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.