With the onset of the fall season, apple picking is a popular activity. However, one local farm says this is one of the toughest years yet due to the early frost and flash floods over the summer.
Every year like clockwork, the family-run The Apple Orchard in Hamilton opens on August 1st with the exception of this year.
Owner Lucas Catalfomo says this has been one of the toughest years in the past 25 years of farming.
“Between the rain, erratic heat changes, frost, and crops not knowing what to do is it rain is it summer is it fall the harvest has been one of the most challenging times.”
It’s changed how they farm now, says Catalfomo, including new forms of planting to prevent further soil erosion.
“Normally what we would see is very plentiful apples from the top of the tree all the way down but with the cold snaps and the drastic weather, you can see only the tops of the trees more or less have the crop.”
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Catalfomo says this means grocery prices will go up but food researcher Sylvain Charlebois says it’s not this simple.
“Grocers will look at prices if local apples are too expensive they’ll basically just go somewhere else because if they carry local apples then they are very expensive, they know they won’t be able to move their inventory, they won’t be able to sell apples at all.”
While this has been the most challenging year for him, Catalfomo says the only thing he can do is hope the weather will work out in his favour.
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