Washington cherries are ripe for picking. But are there enough farm workers?
Washington cherries are ripe for picking. But are there enough farm workers?
By Larissa Babiak
June 15, 2025
Workers began harvesting sweet red and yellow Washington cherries at the start of the month, but growers are dealing with a tighter-than-expected labor market.
Cherry harvest depends on migrant workers who follow the crop from California to Washington, Oregon and other Northwest states.
Experts say there are several reasons why there are fewer workers at this point in the season.
Cherry harvest happens earlier in California and the crop is looking significantly smaller than last year, so there won’t be much overlap between California and Northwest cherry seasons.
Some workers are still wrapping up the cherry season in California. It may up to two weeks before they arrive to work in Washington.
Undocumented farm workers also are fearful about immigration enforcement.
There have been rumors of workplace raids and arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
Capital Press reports that Enrique Gastelum, CEO of the Worker and Farmer Labor Association, said that the rumors are apparently contributing to labor shortages in Washington as cherry harvest begins.
Other workers and their families may be delayed leaving California because they are attending a family member’s high school graduation. It’s unclear how many workers are affected in all.
Challenges for Tri-Cities growers
Grower Shawn Gay runs Finley Cherries, a medium-sized tree fruit operation with cherry orchards in Kennewick, Pasco and Benton City.
Since 1997, the farm has produced cherries, apples and wine grapes.
Gay said that there’s been a slow influx of workers coming from California in the last two weeks, with numbers expected to peak this week and next week.
He hires an average of 50 workers a year, including some H-2A guest workers.
Gay told the Tri-City Herald that cherry harvest relies heavily on migrant workers, plus domestic workers who live in the region.
Some workers at Finley Cherries have worked for Gay since the farm started operating over 25 years ago.
They’ll be busy for the coming weeks — the fresh Northwest cherry crop is expected to be about 10% larger compared to last year.
In addition to labor shortages, Washington tree fruit growers continue facing other financial challenges. Gay lost money last year on tree fruit overall because of high costs of expenses, including minimum wage and overtime payments, farm equipment and chemical supplies.
About 70-80% of Northwest cherries are shipped across the United States. Gay said that Finley Cherries fruit is sent to warehouses where the cherries are sorted, graded, packed, shipped and sold to grocery stores around the country.
Gay doesn’t have control of pricing once cherries hit warehouses. So in November, Gay will finally learn if his expenses for the year are covered.
Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, told the Herald earlier this year that while produce costs continue to rise for shoppers, growers are bringing in less money.
“We have a lot of factors going against us,” Gay said.
Where to find local cherries
Cherry season is expected to run through early August.
Find local cherries at roadside stands, farmers markets and grocery stores across the Tri-Cities including Tri-Cities Food Co-Op and Country Mercantile in Richland and Pasco.
Tri-Citians can also make a day of picking their own cherries with Ray French Orchard and Jamison U-Pick Cherries in Richland and Hatch Patch in Pasco.