Sep 27, 2010

Late season frost cuts apple harvest In half

The apple crop in 2009 was record breaking to say the least! This year…not so much.

Collectively across the state, Michigan apple growers say their harvest is about "half" of what it was last year. There were so many apples left on the trees last year they were simply rotting because growers had an ultra full 100 percent crop. It actually costs more money to have them picked, crated, and stored, than it does to just leave them on the trees. This year, Phil Schwallier at Schwallier’s Country Basket in Comstock Park says he got about 50 percent of his crop. In fact, they will be done harvesting all varieties (except Fuji) within the next week or so. Most growers say the crop is running about three weeks ahead of schedule this season. The late season frost we had back in April and May put a damper on alot of the crop! Many of the buds were destroyed when temps dipped to 24 to 26 degrees a couple of nights. Some of the growers further north around Hart and Shelby only salvaged about 20 percent of their crop. Fox 17 News (Grand Rapidc, Mich.)

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