07/11/05 How to top Rainier?

07/11/05 How to top Rainier?

Today is National Rainier Cherry Day. For those unfamiliar with the variety, Rainiers are the yellow colored cherry with blotches of red. And while they have grown in popularity from both a grower and consumer standpoint, David Severn of Northwest Cherries says there is still room for increased interest. That is why National Rainier Cherry Day was marked with a unique event featuring a former U.S. team pentathlete. SEVERN: One of our local salesmen here in the Yakima Valley that works for Oneonta Star Ranch, Tom Drury, hiked to the top of Mt. Rainier and planted a National Rainier Cherry Day flag on top of it recently, and it's going out in national news release, national video release, that will be seen across the country to talk about Rainier cherries. And of course, the hope is that the coverage will convince shoppers to try and buy more Rainier cherries. SEVERN: Rainier cherry tonnage has tripled in the last ten years. And if you look at the costs of producing Rainier cherries the cost is a little bit higher than other cherries and consumers see that when they go out to the store, so we're trying to remind them and encourage them to try Rainier cherries. Even though their price point is a bit higher, they're about thirty per cent sweeter than their red counterparts and offer a great opportunity for a great eating experience. In our next program, a look at how the 2005 cherry crop appears from a grower and marketing standpoint.
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