Crop Report: March 6th, 2020
Tomatoes
Organics – Transplants began going into the ground February 24th with the duration of the process taking about 2.5 weeks to complete. Current projected first harvest date is July 5th. Our processing season should last approximately 17 days which equates to finishing up July 22nd.
Conventionals – Transplanting s scheduled to begin March 15th, with the duration of this process lasting about 2.5 months through June 1st. Current projected first harvest date is July 23rd. Our processing season should last approximately 73 days which equates to an end date of October 3rd.
Peaches
Organics – All fields have blossomed and are in petal fall. Leaves are beginning to show. Irrigation has begun for frost protection. All normal cultural practices and crop protection continue.
Conventionals – Full bloom began between February 29-March 3 variant on field location. Bloom dates have been approximately 2 weeks earlier than last year due to the warmer weather. Crop potential looks good with early stages of petal fall visible in most orchards and leaves starting to push. Growers continue with pruning and general orchard maintenance. Staffing continues to be an issue for our growers as the peach commodity is a labor intensive summer crop. The rising cost of hand picking in conjunction with a significantly smaller pool of willing and available workers will make procuring skilled labor limited and touch for our farming community throughout the 2020 season.
Pears
Trees are showing various stages of bloom throughout orchards in the River and Linden Districts. Growers’ trees vary from bud clusters to visible flowers. Other districts show blooms in uniform with lots of buds and potential for a satisfactory crop. Bloom timing is 2 weeks ahead of last year with normal bloom typically around March 23. All normal cultural practices and crop protections continue.
Grapes
Grapes have not come out of dormancy yet. Bud break expected in the next 1-2 weeks. Growers are applying irrigation in preparation for frost protection.
Cherries
Cherries anticipated to be in full bloom March 23rd. This is 2 weeks ahead of a 36-year average and 3 weeks ahead of last year. Weather after bloom will determine the timing of this year’s harvest.
Apricots
Full bloom began March 1st which is 15 days earlier than last year. Size should be above average due to a lighter set with little to no thinning necessary. Rain in the forecast this week is not expected to cause any issues. All cultural practices and crop protections continue as normal.