Published: November 08, 2008 01:13 am      

FARMING: Apple crop on rebound after potentially disastrous summer

Nobody knows better than farmers: Mother Nature is fickle.

The 2008 apple harvest is wrapping up in Niagara County with mixed results. Some farmers’ output was severely hurt by frost and hail earlier this year, while others are reporting strong, and possibly strongest-ever, growing seasons.

Bob Hall, owner of Hall Apple Farm on Ruhlmann Road, counts himself among the unlucky this year. On top of a damaging April freeze, he said, his orchard was hard-hit by multiple summer hail storms. Consequently, about half of his 5,000 bushel average output was wrecked.

“We took a 50 percent hit. Most of the other half is going to (processing),” Hall said. “It’s always hit and miss with this business.”

Eight miles away in Gasport, Alan Buhr, whose New Royal Farms has nearly one-tenth of Niagara County’s total apple acreage, reports one of his best years ever. The harvest is done and output — about 240,000 bushels — is about 15 percent higher this year than in 2007.

Buhr said the bounty comes despite hail damage done on 30 percent of his fields.

“The truth of the matter is this is one of the best years we’ve ever had,” Buhr said. “We’ve had good demand, good supply, and that works for us. I’m only speaking for myself, though; I know there are many growers out there who’d like to forget (this year).”

Erratic weather is having an impact on apples statewide. According to the latest federal forecast, in early October, it appeared the New York apple crop would be down 8 percent compared with last year because of storms and overly wet conditions that hampered growth and harvesting.

That forecast was actually much improved over a July assessment by New York Apple Association anticipating a 25 percent decline in year-over-year production. East of Niagara County, reported hail damage was far more extensive, according to NYAA President Jim Allen.

Then again, he said, a weather rebound in August — lots of water and sun, the key ingredients of large, juicy apples — helped improve the picture.

Buhr is reporting “extraordinary” demand for his fruit by processors, he said.

Apples fetch the highest prices when they’re unflawed and can be sold fresh. Marred product is taken up by the makers of juice, sauce and cut products such as fresh or frozen apple slices.

Weather conditions in Michigan were so bad this year, Buhr said whatever apple output wasn’t wrecked there came in badly flawed, making his lesser damaged apples more desirable. He’s done a brisk business with processors needing fresh slices to make “apple fries” for McDonald’s and Burger King, he said.

According to Allen, agriculture remains the top-grossing industry in New York, and apples still have an impact on the economy. As of 2006, New York was the No. 2 apple producer nationwide; and Niagara County was the fourth-highest producing county in the state.

Perhaps surprisingly, in about a decade, growers’ fortunes appear to have gone from sagging to dismal to promising again.

Where the talk in 2000 was about Chinese imports and free-trade-as-industry-killer, today growers are focused on positives. Among other things, they see healthy-eating and local-eating marketing initiatives paying off.

“Overall, the industry is healthy again. We’re producing better fruit and more variety of fruit,” Allen said. “The buy local message is getting through. By far, it’s the consumer buzzword of this season. It’s overtaking ‘organic,’ in fact.”

Innovation, technology and marketing together have done much to lift the industry locally, Gasport grower Kent Schwab said. Development of new varieties creates public excitement for the harvest; and better storage methods prolong the fresh-apple season, giving customers a reason to return to places like Schwab’s Farm Market past October.

“The apple industry has taken a turn for the better the last few years,” Schwab said. “Honey Crisp (a newer apple) is so much better than any other apple you’ve tasted. That’s really helped a lot.”

Schwab said his 70-acre orchard suffered some hail damage in one summer storm, but ultimately, thanks to ideal growing conditions afterward, the apples are bigger, and there are more of them, than last year.

Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.