In California’s Central Valley, the stone fruit harvest is in full swing right now. But instead of climbing up and down ladders, the workers picking peaches and nectarines near Parlier are tethered to a mobile platform in between the trees. HMC Farms has put several of the platforms to use during harvest these past few years. Manager Jon McClarty says they help keep workers safe and out of the sun.
All in all, the pickers had to wait a few extra weeks for these fruits to mature. "It's a late crop, probably the latest we've seen in a couple of decades, brought on by a colder and rainier winter," McClarty said.
HMC Farms grows more than 100 varieties of stone fruit, as well as grapes. The nectarines are organic and will be shipped to stores all over the US. McClarty says all that wet weather may have slowed the crop, but the trees look extremely healthy.
Source: abc30.com