On Saturday, the Lockport Union Sun and Journal ran a story about this year's Niagara County apple crop....
Nobody knows better than farmers: Mother Nature is fickle. The 2008 apple harvest is wrapping up in Niagara County with mixed results. Some farmers’ output was severely hurt by frost and hail earlier this year, while others are reporting strong, and possibly strongest-ever, growing seasons.
Nobody knows better than farmers: Mother Nature is fickle. The 2008 apple harvest is wrapping up in Niagara County with mixed results. Some farmers’ output was severely hurt by frost and hail earlier this year, while others are reporting strong, and possibly strongest-ever, growing seasons.
The article then goes on to talk about the latter occurring in Gasport....
Eight miles away in Gasport, Alan Buhr, whose New Royal Farms has nearly one-tenth of Niagara County’s total apple acreage, reports one of his best years ever. The harvest is done and output — about 240,000 bushels — is about 15 percent higher this year than in 2007.
Buhr said the bounty comes despite hail damage done on 30 percent of his fields. “The truth of the matter is this is one of the best years we’ve ever had,” Buhr said. “We’ve had good demand, good supply, and that works for us. I’m only speaking for myself, though; I know there are many growers out there who’d like to forget (this year).”
The article speaks of Buhr's apples making their way into mass public consumption...
Weather conditions in Michigan were so bad this year, Buhr said whatever apple output wasn’t wrecked there came in badly flawed, making his lesser damaged apples more desirable. He’s done a brisk business with processors needing fresh slices to make “apple fries” for McDonald’s and Burger King, he said.
He's not the only Gasport apple grower doing well....
Innovation, technology and marketing together have done much to lift the industry locally, Gasport grower Kent Schwab said. Development of new varieties creates public excitement for the harvest; and better storage methods prolong the fresh-apple season, giving customers a reason to return to places like Schwab’s Farm Market past October.
“The apple industry has taken a turn for the better the last few years,” Schwab said. “Honey Crisp (a newer apple) is so much better than any other apple you’ve tasted. That’s really helped a lot.”
Schwab said his 70-acre orchard suffered some hail damage in one summer storm, but ultimately, thanks to ideal growing conditions afterward, the apples are bigger, and there are more of them, than last year.
Eight miles away in Gasport, Alan Buhr, whose New Royal Farms has nearly one-tenth of Niagara County’s total apple acreage, reports one of his best years ever. The harvest is done and output — about 240,000 bushels — is about 15 percent higher this year than in 2007.
Buhr said the bounty comes despite hail damage done on 30 percent of his fields. “The truth of the matter is this is one of the best years we’ve ever had,” Buhr said. “We’ve had good demand, good supply, and that works for us. I’m only speaking for myself, though; I know there are many growers out there who’d like to forget (this year).”
The article speaks of Buhr's apples making their way into mass public consumption...
Weather conditions in Michigan were so bad this year, Buhr said whatever apple output wasn’t wrecked there came in badly flawed, making his lesser damaged apples more desirable. He’s done a brisk business with processors needing fresh slices to make “apple fries” for McDonald’s and Burger King, he said.
He's not the only Gasport apple grower doing well....
Innovation, technology and marketing together have done much to lift the industry locally, Gasport grower Kent Schwab said. Development of new varieties creates public excitement for the harvest; and better storage methods prolong the fresh-apple season, giving customers a reason to return to places like Schwab’s Farm Market past October.
“The apple industry has taken a turn for the better the last few years,” Schwab said. “Honey Crisp (a newer apple) is so much better than any other apple you’ve tasted. That’s really helped a lot.”
Schwab said his 70-acre orchard suffered some hail damage in one summer storm, but ultimately, thanks to ideal growing conditions afterward, the apples are bigger, and there are more of them, than last year.
