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Extreme Weather Causes Major Damage to Fruit Harvests Across Mid-Atlantic Orchards
In April, parts of our region experienced extreme weather fluctuation that caused damage to peach, cherry, pear, apple, and stone fruit trees. Unseasonably warm temperatures led trees to blossom early, followed by a sudden freeze that killed off the blooms and young fruit.
The state of New Jersey has declared a state of emergency and estimates at least $300 million in crop losses from farmers in the state alone.
What we know so far:
Peaches are hardest hit: Fifer Orchards (Delaware) reports that they likely lost their entire peach crop. We anticipate receiving some varieties from Frecon Fruit Farms (Pennsylvania), but they might be in lesser quantities than normal.
Apples: Future apple harvests may show “frost ring” — a band of damaged skin tissue that affects appearance but not flavor.
Blueberries: A bright spot: our Hammonton, New Jersey grower reported that they were not impacted and shouldn't expect any dips in availability.
Pears: Our New Jersey pear growers are still fully assessing the setback and will report back with more details soon.
Cherries and other stone fruit: Significant losses regionwide.
Continuing to Serve You:
We are committed to keeping you informed as availability becomes clearer through the summer, and to finding the best local options we can for your menus and programs.
Our procurement team is actively working to source apples and stone fruit from farms that fared better this season, including farms in New York State that experienced less damage.
Local Farms Need Our Support:
Many of these family farmers have farmed this region for generations, and this is one of the most difficult seasons in decades. Your continued commitment to buying local is what helps these farms survive difficult years and invest in recovery.
Our team was on the ground for a visit to Frecon Fruit Farms in Boyertown, PA, recently. Farmer Steve Frecon drove us through the orchards and explained how this weather event will impact his operations this year. His spirit remained optimistic.
"Not all is lost," Steve shared. "While many farms did loose 100% of their tree fruit and berry crops, there are pockets of fruit that survived the freeze in the region. The orchard community is working together to identify that fruit and make it accessible. The farms in this region need your support more than ever before." — Steve Frecon, Frecon Farms of Boyertown, PA
How You Can Help:
1. Enjoy the fruit that did survive and continue to purchase what you can from local farms; every dollar will help.
2. Be open and flexible to fruit size and appearance. A small peach is still delicious, and a dent or discoloration doesn't impact the flavor.
3. Supporting local farms year-round, not just for a specific season, to help them withstand unexpected loss due to climate and unexpected challenges.
Together, we are building strong climate-resilient regional food systems.
