GASPORT, N.Y. — The fall season, especially in New York, is synonymous with apples. With parts of the state dealing with a drought, does that mean a bite into the fruit will be less juicy and refreshing? Will there even be enough apples to make that beloved cider or donuts?
It’s the 128th year Becker Farms’ apple trees have added fall-like décor along Quaker Road in Gasport.
“It’s been dry of course, so the apples might be a little bit smaller than they were last year,” Melinda Vizcarra, co-owner of Becker Farms, said. “Last year they were quite large.”
The family-run business is no stranger to Mother Nature wreaking havoc on a season, but this year has been particularly dry.
“Here in Niagara County, we did not get all the rain that people in Buffalo, or south of Buffalo did,” Vizcarra said.
Parts of Niagara County have been in and out of a moderate drought. In fact, Medina, which is near Gasport, is down about three inches of rain for its yearly average.
There will be a few differences to your apple picking experience. Vizcarra says initially, you’ll see more pre-harvest drop because the trees are stressed. Some trees might also be suffering from a bacterial disease called Fire Blight.
“It’s like a lightning strike almost, it hits the fastest growing branch and it kills the branch,” Vizcarra said.
On a sweet note, what apples there are, they’ll be full of taste!
“They will be a little bit sweeter, because the sugars are more concentrated,” Vizcarra said.
There are more than 600 growers statewide. New York, number two in production for the U.S., is set to produce 32 million bushels of apples, which is above average. Washington State, which is the country’s largest producer, is struggling.
“It means an opportunity for New York State to capture a little more retail shelf than we’ve had in the past,” Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the New York Apple Association, said.
Haskins says, while that will drive prices up a bit, it will help our growers, as their costs are going up as well.
“Our growers are hardy, and they don’t wish this on anyone, but the good news is they know how to overcome,” Haskins said.
That’s exactly Vizcarra’s plan as they prepare for their five acres of young apple trees might take four instead of three years to produce. There is a little concern for next year, too.
“There is a full crop, and there is some stress from the drought, and apple trees decide how may apples they are going to have right now,” Vizcarra explained.
They’ll just have to wait and see.
“We never count our chickens until the apple is in the basket and sold,” Vizcarra smiled.
If you want to check out Becker Farms, or any of the other orchards across the state, the New York Apple Association has an interactive map. There are even recipes.