Beating the Market Heat
While Portland’s cherry market faces a mid-summer crisis from extreme heat, Kennewick growers are already turning their attention to the next harvest.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The extremely warm weather during the last few days has played havoc with cherries arriving on Front street. Saturday’s arrivals were extremely heavy and the bulk of these, even after being rushed into storage came out in rather poor shape, therefore there was considerable off-grade offerings on the market this morning. Local Bings are just coming forward and are of rather good quality. Within about a week the Lamberts will be showing up. By that time offerings of these varieties from the earlier sections will have disappeared. The above is an extract from the daily Portland market report, and is of interest to the Kennewick cherry grower inasmuch as it tells him how fortunate he is. Heavy receipts and slumping prices are hard on the fellow who has cherries to sell but it so happens that the Kennewick grower has already sold his crop and has turned his attention to peaches and apricots. This Portland market report only emphasizes the advantage which the Columbia River valley holds over other sections when it comes to growing the early fruits. The Kennewick grower is in and out of the markets before the slumps come.
“It means something to be ahead of the glut, rather than behind it.”
Agricultural timing has long been a strategic advantage for the Tri-Cities. This report highlights how Kennewick farmers managed to avoid the 'glut' of the larger Portland markets, a testament to the region’s long-standing role as an early-season agricultural hub.
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