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September 24, 2002$365K in grants go to cherry industry- State expected to harvest first commercial crop of Balaton cherriesLANSING - The cherry industry received more than $365,000 in federally-funded state grants for programs designed to help boost the industry.Those awarded grants include: - Leelanau Fruit Co. of Suttons Bay, $45,000 to develop a brandied cherry product targeted to both the domestic and international baking industry. The company also received $75,000 to buy equipment and pay for work needed to re-open the Buckley sweet cherry processing facility. - Great Lakes Packing Co. in Kewadin, $50,000 to develop technology to recover and recycle cherry juice lost in the pitting process. - Rocky Top Farms of Ellsworth, $71,300 for the expansion of the processing and packaging operations at the family fruit orchards. - Peterson Farms, Inc. in Shelby, $75,000 to buy equipment to increase fruit juice processing capacity. - The Michigan Cherry Committee was awarded $40,000 to determine the market potential for products made with the new Balaton tart cherry. The Cherry Marketing institute will implement the grant. - Also, the Marketing Institute and Michigan State University received $10,000 to conduct market research on Balaton cherries. The Balaton, named for a lake in its native Hungary, is making its commercial debut in America this year. A dark-skinned European cherry, it was first introduced in the United States in 1984. The Marketing Institute, along with growers and fruit processors in Michigan, Utah and Wisconsin, have conducted field tests and this year there are enough fruit-bearing trees for a commercial crop. The cherry has a dark burgundy color throughout with a robust sweet-tart juice. It's a large, plump tart cherry that will be sold fresh from mid-July through early August. They also will be available throughout the year in canned and frozen products. Currently, the major tart cherry variety in the United States is the Montmorency. It's known for its ruby-red skin, but has light-colored flesh and juice. The Montmorency variety is seldom sold fresh. The Cherry Marketing Institute is a national research and promotion organization that represents U.S. cherry growers. The grants were awarded under Michigan's Julian-Stille Value-Added Agricultural Development Act. The aim is to enhance the overall value of Michigan-grown commodities. Funding is from a one-time appropriation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Companies have two years to complete their grant projects. |
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