Start of the cherry season in the Scharten

Since the beginning of June, the cherries in Scharten have been making a big appearance again, shining from afar on the spindle trees in the orchards and from the old tall trees along the roads. The number one cherry-growing community in the country is now once again a destination for fruit fans from all over Upper Austria, the neighboring states and Bavaria, who want to buy the crisp red fruits directly from the producers. Because Schartner cherries have long since become a well-known brand.

“In terms of quantities, it will be a very good year for cherries,” says fruit farmer Rudi Wiesmayr from Meindlhumerhof. “At the moment, however, we are struggling with a lot of rainfall, which is causing some of the fruit to burst.” But from Friday, warmer and drier weather is finally in sight.

“Thanks to the variety of 20 types of cherries with different ripening times, we will be able to offer cherries until the end of July,” says Horst Hubmer from Firlingerhof. Cherries are cultivated on around 50 hectares in Scharten. The harvest would not be possible without the many seasonal workers, so many women from Ukraine in particular help out in the orchards.

This year, the vitamin-rich and low-calorie fruit costs around 8 euros from the farm. The fruit is also sold in grocery stores and at markets. There are also a few farms in Scharten that offer cherries for picking yourself, such as the pioneer in this field, the Reinhard Roitner cherry farm.

The apricot harvest will begin next week. Here too, the Schartner farmers are expecting a very good year this year after several difficult years due to losses caused by frost.

Schartner Cherry Festival

This year, the Schartner Cherry Festival will take place on Sunday, June 23rd (alternative date June 30th) at the Firlingerhof. There will be a varied program for the whole family with music, the “Fruit Hill Country Championship in Cherry Stone Spitting”, a petting zoo and a bouncy castle for the children. In addition to freshly harvested cherries, there will be many delicacies based on the sweet fruit, such as cherry pastries, cherry cocktails and farm refinement products.