Crop Report: June 12th, 2020
Tomatoes
Conventionals – Early, mid, and late season plantings are all looking good and maturing nicely. Late season plantings received a nice growth spurt this past week due to the ideal weather.
San Marzano Style– Crop is growing as hoped and plants continue to look healthy. Harvest is anticipated to begin as soon as the organic harvest is complete.
Organics – The crop is maturing quite well and continues to look good. We are roughly less than a month away from the start of harvest.
Peaches
Organics – Harvest officially began on June 3rd. Peaches are looking good. Normal cultural practices along with crop protection continue as needed.
Conventionals – Growers are still finishing up thinning in select fields. Some of the Extra Early varieties are beginning to show color. Harvest is expected to begin the week of June 22nd in the Modesto area. Irrigation is being applied as needed due to the increase in daytime temperatures. All normal cultural practices along with crop protection continue.
Pears
California – River and Linden district growers’ fruit is slightly larger compared to fruit the same time last year. Crop in all districts looks good and continues to grow in size. Harvest is estimated to begin mid to late July. Normal cultural practices and crop protection continue.
Washington – The fruit drop is complete; the process when the pears go from pointing upwards to hanging downward from the branch. Crop size looks average. Fruit looks clean, good quality, with minimal frost and hail damage. Estimated harvest date is early August.
Grapes
Growers are in maintenance mode as the crop continues to progress for harvest. Normal cultural practices and crop protection continue with irrigation as needed due to warmer temperatures.
Cherries
Harvest officially began on June 6th and will go well into August this year. Our Oregon Cherry crop is solid with very good quality compared to orchards in Washington which received much more damage due to weather, resulting in a much lighter crop.
Apricots
Harvest officially began on June 5th. Orchard output has been below average which will result in a short crop this year. Labor is working twice as hard to bring in a smaller crop, making picking costs disproportional for growers.