WENATCHEE, WA - Shoppers always look forward to the cherry season, and Stemilt’s A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries sure bring in traffic. This 2022 cherry season will mark the 10^th year anniversary of the variety, and Stemilt is already celebrating the decade of delicious high-elevation Moon cherries during the month of August with its consumer audience.

“We’ve been lucky enough for the last 10 years to continue creating lasting memories within our consumers through A Half Mile Closer to the Moon® cherries,” explained Kyle Mathison, a fourth-generation cherry grower. “I’m hoping this cherry season optimizes size, flavor, and aromatics for the 10^th year anniversary of this late-season variety.”

A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries are grown at elevations 2,640 feet above sea level and higher and are known as a grand finale to the cherry season. This year, Stemilt will celebrate the legacy of its highest elevation cherries grown in Washington State. Mathison has been growing cherries on Stemilt Hill since 1969, and his unique perspective of cherry growing earned him the title of Cherry King in 2008 and he was the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Grower of the year in 2013.

With the return of these tantalizing cherries, Stemilt will be utilizing a playful consumer marketing campaign to connect cherry lovers with Mathison, who will serve as their guide through a decade of delicious Moon cherries. Mathison will ramp up the campaign with anticipatory posts and Instagram Reel videos as he and the team prepare for harvest followed by an unforgettable social media takeover.

“During the month of August, Stemilt will utilize its social platforms to engage in the celebration of Moon cherries with consumers in key cherry markets across the U.S. and our social followers,” explained Marketing Director, Brianna Shales. “When Moon cherries hit the stores, a social media engagement challenge will utilize influencers to encourage shoppers to see how long a bag of Moon cherries lasts in their household coupled with digital marketing tactics, media, and influencer buzz to put the spotlight on this cherry.”

A part of being a World Famous cherry grower means putting the consumer eating experience first. Taking a bite of A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries is supposed to taste like no other cherry you’ve tasted before, noted the release.

“I’m not farming for cherries; I’m farming for experiences,” said Mathison. “I hope everyone who eats A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries will remember them fondly with a smile on their face in the next decade. Some people see cherry-picking as picking dollars off of trees, but to me, it’s an art.”

Click here to learn more about this magical variety.

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