Northern Michigan company currently offers tart cherry juice concentrate, dried cherries, cherry salsa and other cherry products as supplies tighten across the industry
Bellaire, MI (PRUnderground) August 22nd, 2026
Traverse Bay Farms, a family-owned, nationally award-winning specialty food and wellness company of 38+ national awards, announced that its tart cherry juice concentrate and several other cherry products are available despite a sharply reduced 2026 U.S. tart cherry harvest.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the 2026 U.S. tart cherry crop is forecast at approximately 91 million pounds, down 36% from 2025. The significantly smaller crop is expected to create tighter supplies for processors, retailers and companies that rely on tart cherries for juice concentrate, dried fruit and other cherry-based products.
For consumers and businesses that regularly purchase tart cherry products, availability could become more challenging as existing inventories move through the supply chain.
Traverse Bay Farms Has Tart Cherry Products Available
Despite the difficult 2026 growing season, Traverse Bay Farms currently has several of its popular cherry products available, including:
- Tart cherry juice concentrate
- Cherry salsa
- Other cherry-based specialty foods and wellness products
Availability may change as inventories and market conditions evolve.
"This has been a challenging crop year for the tart cherry industry, especially for the growers who are at the beginning of the supply chain," said Andy LaPointe, Co-Founder of Traverse Bay Farms. "We are grateful that we have strong relations with our strategic partners and we currently have tart cherry juice concentrate, chocolate-covered dried cherries and several other cherry products available for our customers."
Traverse Bay Farms' tart cherry juice concentrate is 68 brix, bottled in glass bottles and offers the only sediment-free guarantee in the entire cherry industry.
Having Trouble Finding Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate? Contact Traverse Bay Farms
The smaller 2026 tart cherry crop may create sourcing challenges for businesses that rely on a consistent supply of tart cherry products.
Traverse Bay Farms welcomes inquiries from online retailers, websites, specialty food stores, wellness retailers, distributors and other businesses that may be having difficulty obtaining tart cherry juice concentrate from their existing suppliers.
Businesses looking for another source of tart cherry juice concentrate are encouraged to contact Traverse Bay Farms regarding current availability.
"If your regular supplier is unable to provide the tart cherry juice concentrate you need, we invite you to contact us," LaPointe said. "We can't guarantee unlimited availability during a crop year like this, but we currently have concentrate available and are happy to speak with businesses looking for additional sourcing options."
Traverse Bay Farms can also discuss current availability of dried cherries, cherry salsa, cherry barbecue sauce, chocolate-covered dried cherries and other select cherry products.
A Smaller Crop Can Affect the Entire Tart Cherry Supply Chain
Unlike fresh-market fruit, the majority of tart cherries are processed into products that consumers purchase throughout the year.
These include tart cherry juice concentrate, dried cherries, frozen cherries, supplements, baked goods and other specialty foods.
When production declines sharply, the impact can extend well beyond harvest season. Processors and manufacturers may have less fruit available, wholesalers may experience tighter inventories, and retailers may encounter changes in availability.
That makes planning particularly important during a year such as 2026.
"Most consumers never have to think about what happens before a cherry product reaches the shelf," LaPointe said. "A difficult harvest can eventually affect everyone from the grower to the processor, retailer and customer."
More Than Two Decades in the Tart Cherry and Specialty Food Industry
Traverse Bay Farms was founded in 2001 and has spent more than two decades working in the specialty food, fruit and natural wellness industries.
The company offers tart cherry juice concentrate and a broad range of fruit-based specialty products while also providing consumers with recipes, serving ideas and educational information about tart cherries and natural wellness.
That experience has given Traverse Bay Farms a firsthand understanding of how weather, crop conditions and agricultural supply can affect product availability from one season to another.
"Our approach has always been to plan carefully, communicate with the people we work with and take care of our customers," LaPointe said. "Those principles become even more important during an unusual crop year."
Supporting Growers During a Difficult 2026 Season
Traverse Bay Farms also recognizes that the story behind the reduced tart cherry crop begins with farmers.
Agriculture is inherently affected by weather, and an individual growing season can have a significant financial impact on the families and businesses that produce the fruit used throughout the industry.
"We don't want the discussion about product availability to overshadow what growers have experienced," LaPointe said. "Without the farmers who grow these cherries, none of these products exist. They are an essential part of this industry."
Traverse Bay Farms encourages consumers and businesses that regularly purchase tart cherry products to understand that availability across the marketplace may fluctuate as the effects of the smaller 2026 crop continue.
For now, Traverse Bay Farms currently offers tart cherry juice concentrate, dried cherries, cherry salsa and other cherry products while supplies remain available.
Businesses, websites, online retailers and distributors that are having difficulty obtaining tart cherry juice concentrate from their current supplier are encouraged to contact Traverse Bay Farms to discuss current availability.
About Traverse Bay Farms
Founded in 2001, Traverse Bay Farms is a family-owned Northern Michigan company specializing in award-winning gourmet foods, fruit-based products and natural wellness products.
The company has earned more than 38 national food awards and offers tart cherry juice concentrate, dried cherries, specialty salsas, supplements, educational resources, recipes and other specialty foods.
Traverse Bay Farms combines more than two decades of specialty food experience with a commitment to USA-grown ingredients, customer education and quality fruit-based products.
