Craig Harris

Craig is the co-chair of the Cherry Committee.

Craig Harris grew up in Moxee, Washington. He is a fourth-generation farmer. His grandpa transitioned
from farming chickens to apples and cherries. Though he grew up around farming, Craig didn’t do much
with it in his early years. He attended Whitworth University in Spokane, where he planned on pursing
something with engineering but completed a degree in mathematics. He moved around after college and
was considering a master’s degree in teaching, when, in 2012, his uncle and dad called to say they could
use help in the cherry harvest. Craig moved home. He spent seven years working in the packing
warehouse for cherries. Now, the manager for Harris Farms, he works in the orchard full-time with apples
and cherries.

He’s volunteered in his community and in the industry. Craig’s been on Cherry Institute Board and served
as the Cherry Institute Board President. He spent five years working with youth groups, Young Life, and
Capernaum (a group for students with special needs). He volunteered with Special Olympics for a year
but put some of his volunteer work on hold when he and his wife had their first child, a baby girl, in
December of 2018. In January 2021, the Harris family welcomed their second daughter.

Craig’s interest in the Commission comes from his work with the Cherry Committee and research
reviews. He’s passionate about research, problem solving, and science. Tom Butler was the one who
originally reached out to him to see if he was interested. Craig, in turn, reached out to Denny Hayden, a
respected business partner at the Harris and Hayden family-owned Western Sweet Cherry’s Group.
Hayden highly encouraged Craig to join. Harris is passionate about the kind of work the Commission
does and he wants to give back.