Penn State Extension helps growers assess losses, care for orchards and pursue assistance<\/p>\n
The calendar says harvest season. For some Pennsylvania orchards, there is little produce to show for it.<\/p>\n
Damaging April freezes wiped out much of the state\u2019s tree fruit, with some growers losing nearly everything and others harvesting only a fraction of a normal yield.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis freeze has hit fruit growers very hard this year,\u201d said Sarah Zost, president of the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania. \u201cFor some, it\u2019s led to devastating losses across all their tree-fruit crops. Others are \u2018lucky\u2019 and may have 50% of their usual apple crop. It\u2019s a terrible year when half of a crop is considered good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n
A patchwork harvest<\/p>\n
The damage was particularly severe for Pennsylvania\u2019s peach and cherry crops, said Daniel Weber, horticulture and commercial tree fruit educator with Penn State Extension. Most peaches were lost. Cherries and apricots produced little to no crop.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne grower said they had about two cherries for the entire orchard,\u201d Weber said. \u201cAnother said he might have enough to make one pie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apples fared better overall, but yields vary widely from orchard to orchard and even among varieties within the same farm. In some areas, growers may have around 70% of a normal crop. Elsewhere, losses are far more severe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s rare to find an orchard where there\u2019s a consistent yield,\u201d Weber said.<\/p>\n
He recalled inspecting one orchard where some blocks had fruit while others, including Fuji and Granny Smith apples, had almost none. At a Lancaster County orchard, he said the crop was so small that harvesting the apples would cost more than the fruit was worth.<\/p>\n
Growers who retained fruit faced additional weather challenges, Weber said. A hailstorm damaged fruit across parts of the Adams County fruit-growing region, while heavy rain and winds later toppled a row of fruit-laden apple trees at another orchard.<\/p>\n
Local markets feel the losses<\/p>\n
Consumers still are likely to find apples and other fruits at large grocery chains this fall, Weber said, because those stores can draw from suppliers in other states and countries. The effects may be much more noticeable at farm markets, roadside stands and pick-your-own orchards.<\/p>\n
Those businesses may have fewer varieties available, higher prices or no pick-your-own crop at all. That could change a familiar fall tradition for families accustomed to visiting orchards for apples, cider and other seasonal products.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are the ones who may be disappointed,\u201d Weber said.<\/p>\n
The peach shortage also prompted some growers to bring in fruit from elsewhere. Weber wrote letters supporting growers seeking temporary permission from farmers markets to sell peaches brought in from places such as South Carolina because of their crop losses.<\/p>\n
Market organizers generally agreed, Weber said, as long as growers clearly identified where the fruit was grown and explained why locally grown peaches were unavailable.<\/p>\n
Effects extend beyond the harvest<\/p>\n
For growers, losing a crop does not eliminate the cost of maintaining an orchard, Weber noted. Trees still must be pruned, protected from pests and diseases, and otherwise cared for so they remain healthy and productive in future years.<\/p>\n
The effects have rippled beyond the orchards. Some farms reduced workers\u2019 hours, laid off employees or did not hire their usual seasonal crews. Zost, business manager of Bonnie Brae Fruit Farm in Adams County, said her farm did not bring in about 30 workers normally hired for harvest. Packers, processors and farm markets also have felt the effects.<\/p>\n
Weber said reduced employment can affect spending at local businesses, including gas stations, restaurants and laundromats.<\/p>\n
The lack of fruit creates another concern for growers. Trees normally direct much of their energy into developing fruit. Without a crop, that energy instead can fuel excessive shoot and branch growth.<\/p>\n
If that growth continues too late into the season, Weber said, tender new wood may be more vulnerable to cold damage. Penn State Extension has been advising growers on practices that can help slow growth and encourage trees to harden off before winter.<\/p>\n
Navigating a difficult year<\/p>\n
\u201cPenn State Extension has provided critical support during this difficult year,\u201d Zost said. \u201cWe deeply value their expertise and commitment to serving the tree-fruit industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that tree-fruit specialists helped growers assess damage, determine which management practices were necessary even without a crop, and explain the freeze\u2019s effects to U.S. Department of Agriculture officials and others.<\/p>\n
Weber compiled information that helped support Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s request for a federal disaster designation. Working with Zost and growers across the state, the effort helped make federal assistance available to eligible producers across Pennsylvania through the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Farm Service Agency.<\/p>\n
Growers also could apply for assistance through a $10 million state relief program for producers who suffered crop losses.<\/p>\n
Weber encouraged growers of all sizes to document their losses and explore available assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re an urban ag person who\u2019s only got a half-acre of peaches and apples,\u201d he said. \u201cClaim that half-acre.\u201d<\/p>\n
Extension continues to provide harvest-season guidance. Weekly apple maturity reports track factors including fruit size, color, sugar content, firmness and starch levels to help growers determine when apples should be harvested and whether they are best suited for immediate sale or storage.<\/p>\n
\u201cPicking early is a problem, but picking too late is even worse,\u201d Weber said. \u201cFruit harvested at the wrong stage can develop quality problems, including off-flavors during storage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Weber and Shanthanu Krishna Kumar, assistant professor of tree fruit, produce the reports.<\/p>\n
Supporting Pennsylvania growers<\/p>\n
For consumers looking to help, Weber and Zost advised continuing to support Pennsylvania farms and markets, even if their usual selection looks different this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve got a favorite market, continue to go there, even if you\u2019re just buying a cider doughnut or a baked good, or jam or jelly, and not fresh fruit,\u201d Weber said. \u201cThey really can use your business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some markets have expanded their selection of vegetables or other products to make up for lost fruit sales, he said.<\/p>\n
Zost encouraged shoppers to seek out Pennsylvania-grown products when available.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop at your local farmers market or farm stand and buy what they have available,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery dollar counts, especially this year.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Penn State Extension helps growers assess losses, care for orchards and pursue assistance The calendar says harvest season.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":296793,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[524,28,30,29,960],"class_list":["post-296792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-community","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news","tag-valley_times_star"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}