Virginia's apple-picking season takes a hit after spring freeze
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Apple-picking season is here, but one of fall's favorite pastimes could be shorter or sparser at some Virginia orchards after a devastating spring freeze.
Why it matters: State officials estimate spring freezes have caused tens of millions of dollars in crop losses in Virginia, including near-total apple losses in some parts.
Driving the news: Virginia's apple crop is expected to come in at just 40% to 60% of a normal year, James Atwell of the Virginia Apple Board tells Axios.
- The Winchester area, home to many of the state's larger growers, was hit hardest, with losses estimated at 60% to 80%.
- Earlier-maturing varieties, including Gala, Honeycrisp and Ginger Gold, appear to have suffered the most.
Popular apple-picking destinations near Northern Virginia, like Stribling Orchard and Mackintosh Fruit Farm, are warning of limited picking this season.
The intrigue: Central and Southwest Virginia fared better, Atwell says, thanks in part to higher elevations, different microclimates and better airflow.
- The popular Carter Mountain Orchard about an hour from Richmond has continued offering pick-your-own apples, per an Axios review of its site as of Thursday.
Zoom in: The damage can vary dramatically even within the same farm and region.
- Silver Creek & Seamans' Orchards in Nelson County canceled two pick-your-own events — including one next week — after it said an early spring frost severely damaged its lower-lying orchards.
- Its higher-elevation ones, however, produced what the farm called a "beautiful crop." Other picking events remain scheduled.
Fruit Hill Orchard in Palmyra also says it lost the majority of its apple and peach crops, and will source apples from its Winchester orchards and other Virginia growers.
The big picture: Spring freezes wreaked havoc on farms across Virginia, with preliminary estimates from the state putting agricultural losses between $32 million and $105 million.
- The damage has prompted USDA disaster declarations that have opened federal assistance to Virginia growers
- Virginia Tech researchers reported earlier this year "a near-complete crop loss" around Winchester after temperatures plunged into the low 20s in April.
What they're saying: "The level of damage we are seeing is unlike anything I've observed in apples over the past eight years at Virginia Tech," wrote Sherif Sherif, an associate professor of horticulture at Tech.
The bottom line: Check an orchard's site before planning a picking trip.
Axios D.C.'s Anna Spiegel contributed to the report