08/14/2024
Storm Devastates Apple Crop: Sunday’s violent storm that impacted many lakeshore communities along Lake Ontario, from Niagara County to Wayne County, had a devastating impact on the apple crop. I’ve been in touch with a handful in the farming community out there and have been told that the hail that accompanied the storms had a profound impact—and not a good one. One farmer told me they lost between 250-300 acres of apples—the hail either bruised or cut the apples (bottom image). “Not only does it damage the fruit, it will cut the trees foliage and when that happens, it’s like a cut on your body if it’s not taken care of immediately with some type of “cleaning” or spray in our wheelhouse it could be very susceptive to bacterial problems”, said the farmer. This will obviously have major impacts on the fruit market. Early harvesting was just two weeks away when this storm rolled through. Such a shame!
