Visit Cherry Orchards Along Flathead Lake
A return guest reached out to me asking where the best place to find flats — or 100 lbs — of Flathead cherries would be.
New to the area and having yet to pick my own cherries, I too, was curious to know. So, I set out to ask the locals what they thought. Overwhelmed with the response and knowing Lauri (our guest) and I aren’t the only ones curious about where the best of the cherries are, I thought this might be helpful for those of you coming for the same reason.
Here’s what the locals came back with:
Coming in as a crowd favorite is Bowman Orchards. Celebrating 100 years in 2020, this fifth-generation family orchard grows many varieties of sweet cherries including Bing, Tieton, Lambert (similar to Bing), Lapin (a later cherry), and Rainier (light yellow with red blush). They also grow a limited amount of pie cherries (sour).
Next up is The Orchard at Flathead Lake. My curiosity for this orchard has peaked twofold. First, they’re organic (as many others on this list are). And second, as one local gleefully exclaimed, “They have organic cherries and amazing jams, butter, and BBQ sauce. The Huckle Cherry Jam is literally to die for and gets ya through the winter blues 😁" Everything this orchard sells, they either grow or make.
““They have organic cherries and amazing jams, butter, and BBQ sauce. The Huckle Cherry Jam is literally to die for and gets ya through the winter blues 😁””
Located a little farther south in Polson, the Fat Robin Orchard & Farm is not only known for their organic cherries, but apples and sheep too. Part of their farm management scheme includes grazing sheep where and when appropriate. As a bonus, guests are invited to visit and pet the sheep during the season.
Bigfork Orchards, owned and operated by Hans Groenke, is a favorite by some locals as they say it’s the ‘least expensive’ [orchard] around. But don’t think that by being the least expensive, they’re any lesser in quality — quite the opposite, actually. As I found in one review, Hans takes measures that few other cherry growers do to ensure that the best-eating cherries get to market. First, he allows them to ripen to a deep, dark red before harvesting. Then, once handpicked, his cherries are quickly chilled with ice-cold water and travel to the packing house in refrigerated trucks.
I couldn’t find a direct website to Hans’ Bigfork Orchard. Maybe the best cherries are those less discovered.
Yellow Bay Orchards — I wasn’t able to dig up a lot of information on this orchard either, but what I can tell you is that the locals also love their blueberries! So, if you’re like me and like some fresh blueberries in your smoothie or on top of your yogurt or waffles, be sure to check them out.
Getman Orchard and Vineyard is next up on the list of recommendations and what I love hearing about this orchard is that they have a ‘super experience for families.’ Now, many orchards around the area have a U-pick option, but I did a little digging to learn more about this orchard. I found that, beyond cherries, they have a vineyard, garden, and orchard house. They’ve planted 80 table grapes — plants that were purchased from the Finger Lakes area in New York. They are founding members of the Montana Grape Growers Association. Their ever-changing garden is home to pear and peach trees and vegetables. And possibly most exciting to some (I know I’m curious!) is their orchard house — where their goal is to be able to have a house for art, abundant foods, learning, and music.
Big Sky Orchards is for those who like your cherries and beer. Located in Polson, this two-generation orchard expanded its business in 2016 to include a 10-acre hop farm in Bigfork. Check out their Instagram here — I think you’ll learn a lot about what this family is up to!
Jubilee Orchards — another orchard suggested to me that I couldn’t find a lot of information about, but I found this older piece enjoyable. Learn a bit about the family and why their cherries might be harvested a bit later than others in the Flathead region.
Finally, something I’m hugely thrilled about and stumbled upon while reading an older edition of the 'Only in Bigfork’ lifestyle magazine is the That’s My Tree, blossom to bowl orchard. When you rent a tree from That's My Tree, they nurture YOUR cherries and you're a part of the entire agricultural process: pruning, blossom, and harvest. When your harvest is in, they ship it straight to you. With That’s My Tree, you can rent a young tree or a more mature tree. Renting a young tree is more of an education process and provides you with 10 lbs of cherries shipped straight to your home. Renting a mature tree grants you up to 60 lbs of cherries. All rentals come with a certificate and number stating, “That’s My Tree,” and free shipping of YOUR cherries.
From one entrepreneur to another, this is not only a wonderful business idea but makes for a great gift! I know I’ll be renting a young tree for my parents so they can enjoy a little taste of my hometown. :)
I hope y’all have found this post super helpful in the hunt for your perfect cherries! Please feel free to leave any comments below.
Cheers,
