While many welcome the rain, it could be bad news for growers expecting an early cherry crop this year.The fruit could be harvested as much as two weeks early. Some growers in Mattawa and along the Columbia River have already started picking.We caught up with one grower in Naches, he hasn't started just yet, but he says with the early harvest expected, any rain between now and then could cause damage, like split cherries, ruining his crop."You can have a cherry crop on the 13th of June and then a rain storm comes in and you won't have one on the 14th of June, it's that quick and it's that final and it can be devastating. This year with our large crop, quality is going to count,” grower John Thompson said.Thompson says his cherries are still a week or two away from harvest; he's hoping the rain will stay away long enough to produce a good crop for the summer months.

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com