Jul 26, 2012Washington tree fruit sustains significant damage in hail storm
Thunderstorm-driven hail on July 17 damaged apples and pears in commercial orchards on Manastash Ridge southeast of Ellensburg, throwing most of the fruit out of the running for the fresh market.
“This is just devastating, very devastating,” said longtime commercial tree-fruit grower Ben Kern last week after surveying the damage done to his orchards on the north-facing slopes of Manastash Ridge. “Before the storm, it was looking like one of best crops we’ve ever had. There was a lot of money put into that crop. It remains to be seen if we’ll be able to salvage any of it.”
Other commercial tree-fruit growers reported varying degrees of damage from the storm that dropped up to three inches of rain in an hour, with hail falling for at least 20 minutes. The hail bruised, dented and broke the skin of apples and pears.
One observer said the hail was bigger than peas and covered the ground at one point, making it look like the middle of winter. The winds were so fierce that a number of tall poplar trees used for windbreaks were sheared off at the top.
For the handful of commercial growers with damaged apples on the ridge on the south side of the Kittitas Valley, the hope is that they’ll later get a fair price from processors who buy apples for juice and other products. Juice apples command a fraction of what growers receive for undamaged fresh fruit. Daily Record
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