This year's Flathead cherry harvest will be lighter and later than typical, but that means bigger profits for growers.

"The later we are, the bigger the price," said Dale Nelson, president of the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers. "It's supply and demand. By the end of July we'll have the only cherries in North America."

Frost and cold weather heavily damaged the cherry crop at most of the late-harvest sites in Washington, giving Flathead orchards an advantage.

Local cherry growers are expecting a lighter crop this year, somewhere around 2 million pounds, or roughly half of last year's bumper crop of 4 million pounds, Nelson said. Flathead cherry production averages 2.5 million to 3 million pounds.

"The year following a bumper crop is a little light," he said. "The tree can't produce a bumper crop every year."

Flathead orchards also had one cold night in April - during the third stage of bud development - that nipped trees.

The result, Nelson said, is a slimmer crop but bigger cherries.

"We'll have nice, big juicy cherries," he said.

A June 10 snowstorm across the Flathead Valley didn't damage the cherries, Nelson added.

"The lowest temperature we recorded was 34.4 degrees," he said. "At this stage, it'd have to get into the 20s to do damage."

This year's harvest will be the latest in 15 years. Nelson expects the earliest orchards at Finley Point to start harvesting around July 25, with the season peaking Aug. 4 to 5. Typically it peaks around July 25 to 26.

The cooperative's cherries are shipped to Monson Fruit Co. in Washington for packing, then are distributed and marketed nationally by Domex Inc. of Yakima, Wash. This year, 11 Wal-Mart stores in Montana will feature Flathead cherry displays.

In addition to setting up test markets to establish relations with retailers, the cooperative uses its Web site, www.montanacherries.com, to raise the awareness that Washington isn't the only hot spot for cherries.

"Montana cherries are a more unique buying" experience, Nelson said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com