Santa Clara County Cherry Crop Crisis
- Cherry growers across Santa Clara County are facing a near-total crop failure after an unusually warm winter and hot bloom. - Some orchards report virtually no harvestable fruit, and upcoming rain in Gilroy could destroy what little remains. - Farmers are relying on crop insurance, alternative crops, and even helicopters to salvage orchards and survive financially (ktvu.com).
Cherry orchards in Santa Clara County are heading into spring with almost no fruit, after a warm winter and hot bloom left many trees nearly bare. (ktvu.com) In Gilroy, Borello Family Farms said April 20 there will likely be no u-pick cherry season this year. KTVU reported some trees have only “three or four cherries per tree.” (ktvu.com) At San Felipe Farms, which manages 550 acres of cherries, some orchards have no crop at all, Tim Gillio said. At B and T Farms, grower Paul Mirassou said the yield is so light that hiring hand-picking crews does not pencil out. (ktvu.com) Cherry trees need winter “chill hours,” which are long stretches of cold that help buds reset before spring growth. KTVU reported growers blamed this year’s losses on a winter that “wasn’t cold enough” followed by heat during bloom. (ktvu.com) The damage is concentrated in South County even as the broader California crop looks stronger than last year. AgNet West reported April 15 that the 2026 statewide crop is projected at 8 million to 8.5 million cartons, while Hollister-Gilroy is a light-crop region because of heat during bloom. (agnetwest.com) Santa Clara County is still a meaningful cherry-growing area. The California Cherry Board’s 2024 acreage report lists 1,566 acres of Bing cherries in Santa Clara County, plus smaller plantings of Coral, Rainier, Royal Hazel and other varieties. (calcherry.com) Growers say this is not a one-season problem. KTVU reported many local farmers have had only three successful cherry years in the last ten, and some have already pulled out cherry trees for crops they consider more reliable and more profitable. (ktvu.com) Most growers now carry crop insurance to cover a total loss, KTVU reported, and the county says its annual crop reports are used to track production and value across local agriculture. USDA says county crop reports are the most detailed annual production data available at the county level in California. (ktvu.com) (nass.usda.gov) Rain could still wipe out what little fruit remains. The National Weather Service forecast for Gilroy called for rain and thunderstorms with a 100% chance of precipitation, and growers told KTVU they are prepared to use low-flying helicopters and commercial sprayers to blow water off the trees before cherries crack. (weather.gov) (ktvu.com)
