Cherry harvest, inspection, and packing, for Amazon/Whole Foods
August 28, 2026

Workers pick skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.

I spent a day in the fields and warehouses of Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, Washington, to photograph the process of cherry harvesting, inspection, and packing, for Amazon. After the harvest, the fruits are washed and checked for firmness and then moved through the warehouse for the many-stage packing process. Then, Whole Foods inspectors survey lots of the packed cherries to look for signs or rot or other blemishes and determine whether or not that portion of the harvest is a candidate for purchase. 

Thanks to Lucas for the call for this assignment!

Skeena cherries hang from a tree at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Workers pick skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
freshly-picked skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Workers pick skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Workers harvest skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Seattle, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
A tractor pulls cartons of freshly-picked skeena cherries at a Stemilt Growers orchard outside Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Workers load crates of cherries at a Stemilt Growers facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
A bowl of Skylar Rae cherries is seen at a Stemilt Growers facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Randall Davidson, a Whole Foods Field Inspector, holds up a Skeena cherry at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Nick Moless, a Senior Produce and Floral Field Sourcing Leader at Amazon/Whole Foods, uses a refractometer to measure the sugar content of Skeena cherries at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Nick Moless, a Senior Produce and Floral Field Sourcing Leader at Amazon/Whole Foods, inspects a batch of Skeena cherries for signs of decay and damage at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Nick Moless, a Senior Produce and Floral Field Sourcing Leader at Amazon/Whole Foods, inspects a bag of Skeena cherries with other Amazon/Whole Foods employees at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
A worker inspects Skeena cherries at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Whole Foods and Amazon employees take a tour of the Stemilt Growers packing plant in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Meg Nakajima, Category Manager at Amazon, looks at a red cherry grading diagram during a tour of the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Crates of packed Skeena cherries move along tracks at the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
A forklift moves boxes of packed cherries in the warehouse of the Stemilt Growers packing plant in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
Boxes of packed apples are seen in the warehouse of the Stemilt Growers packing plant in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
An exterior view of the Stemilt Growers packing facility in Wenatchee, Washington, USA, on Mon., July 6, 2026.
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