JULY 2008: AROUND THE STATE
Weather delays fruit crop
STATEWIDE
Unseasonably cold weather in early June has pushed back harvest
for much of Oregon’s valuable fruit crop. The delay means
local fruit will be in markets later than anticipated.
For Hood River and Wasco County cherries, the usual harvest
time of mid-June was already postponed a week by a series of
cold spells in late April and early May. Jeff Heater of
Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers was hoping a few weeks ago that
harvest would begin before July.
Jean Godfrey, executive director of the group, says the
region’s pears are running behind, too.
Oregon’s blueberries, normally harvested around mid-June,
are expected to be picked starting around July 4, says Bryan
Ostlund, administrator of the state’s Blueberry
Commission. He expects an “average” crop this
year. Strawberries are also being picked late, with the
industry planning a late June harvest.
Raspberries and blackberries, usually harvested in the first
week of June, were pushed back to late June, says Don Sturms of
the state’s Raspberry and Blackberry Commission. A grower
as well, he says cold weather has decimated 30% of his
blackberries. “The bees are not pollinating in this cold
weather,” he says.
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