Cherry Republic looks to Poland for this year’s fruit harvest

From staff reports

Poland has given us Chopin, the Solidarity labor movement, kielbasas, paczkis and a popular three -step dance. And now cherries.

WZZM TV reports that nearly 90 percent of Michigan’s cherry crop was destroyed this spring by the unusual weather — summerlike temperatures followed by nights of hard freezes.

Cherry inventories were already drained from poor crops the last few years, so when Cherry Republic owner Bob Sutherland found out in late April his cherry supply was in the pits, he looked overseas.

“I heard that on a Monday, and by Wednesday, I had called Poland and ordered cherries,” he said.

Sutherland declared it Operation: Temporary Necessity, and sent out newsletters to inform customers.

“We’ve never had to do that in my 20 years of selling cherries,” said Sutherland, whose company makes 174 products.

He says it’s the only way to keep hundreds of his workers employed, at a time farmers have had to make layoffs.

“So the bakers are baking, the jam makers are making jam,” said Sutherland.

“We’ve raised the Polish flag, with a sign right next to it that says Long Live Poland.”