With a month to go before harvesting of red raspberries begins in Washington, early signs point to production similar to last year's production. Total production for Washington was 72 million pounds in 2011."Red raspberries from Washington are usually available from mid-June to mid-August," said Henry Bierlink, executive director of the Washington Raspberry Commission. Volume should be similar to last year, though any adverse weather between now and the start of harvest could change that, said Bierlink.
Last week, tree fruit growers throughout the state enacted anti-frost measures in anticipation of cold weather, but Bierlink doesn't think that cold weather will have any effect on the raspberry crop.
"Raspberry growers don't have to deal so much with frost," he said, "mostly because raspberries aren't in bloom yet."