On the night of Monday 9 May, a possible hard freeze may have meant more bad news for crops in the Capital Region. A warmer and not so snowy winter, followed by multiple cold snaps has been hard on farmers there.
At Goold Orchards, it’s easy to see the damage already done by a warmer winter and a sudden late season frost.
“They’re dead; they’re gone,” Ed Miller of Goold Orchards said.
Close to 75 percent of Goold apple crop is dead due to a late season snowfall at the start of April. What is supposed to look like an endless sea of white and pink apple blossoms is instead patches of green and brown.
Farmers said the possible overnight frost could impact their busy tourist season over the summer and those who work for them.
A McIntosh apple tree that would normally produce six to eight bushels of apples may only produce once bushel. As a result, the frost could result in less apples for tourists to pick.
“People were very upset with us that we ruined their weekends,” Miller said.
It could also mean fewer jobs. Goold will only hire one-third the normal amount of help in the summer and fall.
Source: news10.com
