BIGFORK, MT. – Continuing his 56 County Tour, Governor Greg Gianforte on May 29th, visited Lake County to hear from cherry growers in the Flathead Valley.

“Whether it’s beef, grain, pulse crops, or specialty fruits like the cherries here in the Flathead, our Montana producers and growers work hard to harvest and showcase our high-quality products,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’ll continue to support them as they feed the world.”

Visiting the Buena Vista Orchard in Bigfork, the governor met with the producers of the Flathead Cherry Growers to hear more about the cooperative providing members and hobby growers the opportunity to utilize existing grounds for production.

Founded in 1935, the commercial co-op brings cherry growers together to offer you-pick experiences to visitors, to sell on roadside stands, and to ship across the country.

Partnering with the Washington fruit packing company, Monson, the co-op of over 80 members collectively ships two to three million pounds of cherries worldwide each year.

The last two years although have been a challenge for production. Due to labor shortages and inclement weather, the co-op has experienced a decreased crop yield both this year and last.

Touring the orchard and highlighting the difficulties of growing in Montana conditions, the orchard owner shared about the challenges to the crops that have resulted from a recent freeze.

“As growers, we always have challenges before we can get the cherries in the box – from big rainstorms, to insects, to the bears. But this year, the problem is we don’t have many cherries. In fact, a lot of the growers here today don’t have a single cherry. We are fortunate to have a few pounds per tree,” said Bruce Johnson, owner of Buena Vista Orchard and co-op member.

Bruce shared his crop yield this year will be five pounds per tree, as opposed to a typical yield which produces upwards of 50 pounds per tree.

To support Montana growers, the Montana Department of Agriculture through the Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program, supports innovative Montanans and their businesses through loans and grants that produce and commercialize agricultural products and processes, that in turn, create wealth and jobs in communities and on farms and ranches.

The Buena Vista Orchard was a recipient of two GTA grants to support expanding their operation.