Apples will hit the shelves three weeks early this year.
Harvest of early varieties began last week, and apples should show up on store shelves by mid-August.
You better buy them quickly, however, as this year’s weather spelled disaster for many local growers who suffered significant crop loss due to weather. The warm winter, with its sporadic snaps of deep freeze, killed a lot of fruit buds, and apples were no exception.
At Schutt’s Apple Mill in Penfield, owner Marty Schutt said he lost 90 percent of his crop due to the April frost that followed an unseasonably warm March.
As a result, Schutt said that he’ll be buying apples from other farmers to sell. Customers can also expect to pay more for apples per pound.
“We really hope that the public can support us through this downturn,” said Schutt, who said there will still be plenty of the stand’s signature cider, apple frosts, and frycakes for sale. “Next year, we’ll be right back to normal, and we’re looking forward to that.”
At the Apple Farm in Victor, owner Munir Bahai also lost 90 percent of his crop. That means this year he may not be able to offer “pick your own” sales at his store on Route 444 and he will have to buy apples from other growers to meet demand.
Crop loss varied by grower, depending on location, he said. He hopes to buy from other Finger Lakes growers, if possible.
“I’ll buy from whoever will sell,” said Bahai. “In 41 years I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Brian Nicholson, co-owner of Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, said Red Jacket lost about half its crop. They will have enough apples to supply their customers in the Finger Lakes region, he said. But the loss means cutting back on supplies sent downstate to the New York City market and elsewhere.
In Wayne County, the top apple producer in New York and one of the largest in the nation, many farms are reporting significant crop losses as well.
Molly Golden, spokeswoman for the New York Apple Association, said it’s unclear what the size of this year’s apple crop will be.
New York produces the second-largest apple crop in the U.S., behind only Washington State.
But it will be down due to the weather, she said.
Last year, New York posted an average-sized crop at 29 million bushels.
Golden said the marketing challenge this year is getting the word out that people will find New York apples, but they need to buy early.
“We are trying to make people aware,” she said. “We do have apples.”
—Includes reporting by Bethany Young
Apples will hit the shelves three weeks early this year.
Harvest of early varieties began last week, and apples should show up on store shelves by mid-August.
You better buy them quickly, however, as this year’s weather spelled disaster for many local growers who suffered significant crop loss due to weather. The warm winter, with its sporadic snaps of deep freeze, killed a lot of fruit buds, and apples were no exception.
At Schutt’s Apple Mill in Penfield, owner Marty Schutt said he lost 90 percent of his crop due to the April frost that followed an unseasonably warm March.
As a result, Schutt said that he’ll be buying apples from other farmers to sell. Customers can also expect to pay more for apples per pound.
“We really hope that the public can support us through this downturn,” said Schutt, who said there will still be plenty of the stand’s signature cider, apple frosts, and frycakes for sale. “Next year, we’ll be right back to normal, and we’re looking forward to that.”
At the Apple Farm in Victor, owner Munir Bahai also lost 90 percent of his crop. That means this year he may not be able to offer “pick your own” sales at his store on Route 444 and he will have to buy apples from other growers to meet demand.
Crop loss varied by grower, depending on location, he said. He hopes to buy from other Finger Lakes growers, if possible.
“I’ll buy from whoever will sell,” said Bahai. “In 41 years I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Brian Nicholson, co-owner of Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, said Red Jacket lost about half its crop. They will have enough apples to supply their customers in the Finger Lakes region, he said. But the loss means cutting back on supplies sent downstate to the New York City market and elsewhere.
In Wayne County, the top apple producer in New York and one of the largest in the nation, many farms are reporting significant crop losses as well.
Molly Golden, spokeswoman for the New York Apple Association, said it’s unclear what the size of this year’s apple crop will be.
New York produces the second-largest apple crop in the U.S., behind only Washington State.
But it will be down due to the weather, she said.
Last year, New York posted an average-sized crop at 29 million bushels.
Golden said the marketing challenge this year is getting the word out that people will find New York apples, but they need to buy early.
“We are trying to make people aware,” she said. “We do have apples.”
—Includes reporting by Bethany Young
