The Specialty Crop Research Initiative has awarded a $3.9-million grant for research on new ways of producing, processing, and marketing sweet cherries. Dr. Matt Whiting, horticulturist with Washington State University, heads the project, which involves 11 cooperators in Washington, Oregon, California, and Michigan. The ­project’s goal is to improve the sustainability of the U.S. cherry industry by developing a highly efficient ­production, processing, and marketing system. Whiting believes that the greatest threat to the sweet cherry industry is its dependence on hand labor for ­harvest, which accounts for about 60 percent of annual production costs. A major focus of the […]