This week, the cherry harvest began at Royal Ridge Fruits in Washington. Incentive and piece-rate payment systems are in place for all crops in the United States.
Incredible - the PET-Tiger electronic token on the phone, or visual token on the eye, or printed token - the latest innovation for your workforce management needs! The PET electronic token system provides employees working on piece-rate with a tangible and real-time record of their piece count, revolutionizing traditional methods like physical tokens or punch cards.
From humble beginnings in 1962, with a few acres of prairie in central Washington, the Dorsing family has grown to become one of the largest cherry growers in the western United States. Today, Dorsing Farms continues to thrive in Washington's fertile Columbia Basin. Under third-generation family management, the farm has expanded to over 2,500 acres of conventional and certified organic sweet cherries, blueberries, raspberries, tree fruits, and other crops.
Agricultural labor contractors, growers, and traders share real-time data, enabling operations to maximize labor efficiency. PET-Tiger allows personalized payment calculations for individual workers and teams with multiple payment systems, improving employee management and incentives.
Field and office managers receive special real-time mapping notifications on production by variety and packaging style, as well as efficiency reports for harvesting and packing. The versatility of PET-Tiger allows customization and localization for any crop, geographical area, payroll system, wage order, legal compliance, operational policies, piece-rate, and bonus calculations.
Technological progress promises innovation, but research on seedless cherries raises an urgent question: why do we invest in market comforts while millions face hunger? A critical analysis of science, priorities, incentives and global responsibility.
Research has examined the impact of using cherry juice and pomace in beer. The results of chemical analyses show that the addition of these elements increases the concentration of phenolic compounds in beers and consequently also the antioxidant activity.
Etna PDO Cherry and the prized Mastrantonio variety enjoy a strong 2026 season, with high quality, firm fruit and harvests extending to late July. Higher-altitude orchards create new market opportunities, while growers face suzukii fruit fly, irrigation and grower unity.
Washington State’s 2026 cherry harvest begins with a smaller crop, good fruit quality, encouraging yields and favorable prices. Mark Grassel examines harvest timing, nighttime picking, climatic risks, labor needs and the challenges shaping a promising season to date.