A bountiful harvest seems like a good thing. But not for a farmer in Michigan who says a federal regulation forced him to let 40,000 perfectly good tart cherries go to waste.
“These cherries are beautiful! But, we have to dump 14 percent of our tart cherry crop on the ground to rot,” Santucci wrote. “Why? So we can allow the import of 200 million pounds of cherries from overseas! It just doesn’t seem right.”
Advertisement
The photo was shared over 55,000 times, with many commenters bemoaning piles of fresh food going to waste while so many people go hungry.
Tart cherries are a unique fruit. They are only grown in a few states, with most coming from Michigan. Their shelf life is only a couple of days, and therefore they require processing right after harvesting. They’re either frozen or used for products like pie filling, cherry concentrate and jam.
Crop yield also varies significantly from year to year. That’s one of the reasons the U.S. Department of Agriculture imposes an order on the industry, which growers and processors regularly agree to, that limits the amount of cherries that can be sold each year to match demand. The goal is to keep prices more stable for farmers.
There are some alternatives to dumping. Processors can choose to hold stock in reserve to release in a future year when there is a shortfall. Santucci told The Huffington Post that his processor took about half of his excess cherries for that purpose.
There’s also donating. The Michigan Agricultural Surplus System works with over 70 farms in the state to take surplus crops and produce that is considered too “ugly” for retailers to sell. Farmers get paid a little to cover their costs, and MASS sends hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy food to organizations around the state that give it out to needy families.
“I’m devastated to see what he did, and what I’m sure others are doing, when I’m sure there are families that would love to be able to have tart cherries,” said Kath Clark, food programs manager for the Food Bank Council of Michigan, which is responsible for MASS.
It’s not a problem that only affects cherries, Clark said. She described farmers harvesting potatoes, putting them into storage, and then, after finding out they don’t meet cosmetic standards, having to spread them back on their fields to rot.
Advertisement
In the U.S., up to 40 percent of the food that’s produced never gets eaten. Each year, about 7 percent of what’s planted on farms isn’t harvested, according to a 2012 Natural Resources Defense Council report.
Donating is trickier for tart cherries, because they require both farmers and processors ― many working at capacity during the harvest ― to be on board and coordinate with the food bank program in a short time period.
Clark said she works with one grower who is donating about 40,000 pounds of tart cherries this year. The viral Facebook post inspired Clark to reach out to Santucci, and now that he knows there is a processor who will accept donated cherries, he plans to donate next time there’s a surplus.
Santucci believes the bigger problem is the rule restricting how many cherries are allowed to be sold domestically ― though many other farmers say it provides necessary stability.
Santucci said tart cherries imported from Turkey and Eastern Europe have made up increasingly larger portions of the market, and limiting the amount of domestic cherries makes it worse.
Advertisement
“In an effort to support the prices of cherries, we’re actually increasing imports,” Santucci said.
Santucci’s Facebook photo has received much more attention, and heated reactions, than he was expecting. But he hopes it might help spark change.
“We weren’t trying to say we’re poor and we’re getting screwed,” he said. “We’re trying to say the system just doesn’t work.”
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.