State Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), center left, welcomes 2024-25 National Cherry Queen Tessa Nico, center right, on May 21, 2025, at the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing.
LANSING, Mich., May 22, 2025 — Yesterday, state Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) welcomed members of the Michigan cherry industry to the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing, including the 2024-25 National Cherry Queen Tessa Nico. Coffia also offered House Resolution 110 to declare May 21, 2025, as Cherry Industry Day in the state of Michigan.
After the resolution’s adoption, Coffia issued the following statement:
“This resolution recognizes the generations of hardworking Michiganders in the cherry industry, many of whom have been growing tart and sweet cherries on family farms for five to six generations. While this is a great point of pride, we also cannot take this industry for granted. In speaking with cherry farmers across northwest Michigan, it is clear the cherry industry is changing and facing great challenges. From invasive pest populations exploding as a result of a changing climate, to unpredictable weather dramatically impacting growing conditions, to competition from growers abroad, these conversations emphasize that we all must remain vigilant and seek ways to support this vital industry and our local farmers and agriculture workers wherever we can.”
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