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Fall Harvest Arriving Early

As reported here last month, the Northeast peach crop came in nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. Fast-accumulating heat units during summer has shifted corn, soybeans and even apple harvest schedules 10 days to two weeks ahead of normal.

In New York State, the consensus among surveyed apple growers is that their fruit crop got off to perhaps its fastest start in history last spring with record warm April temperatures. Then the growing season was accelerated even more by a hot, sunny summer.
 
That means fresh-picked local apples by mid-August, reports Jim Allen, New York Apple Association president. In fact, early apples are already being picked in the Hudson Valley and Western New York. Due to abundant sunshine this summer, apples and apple cider will pack extra flavor – higher sugar levels, he adds.

The 2010 apple crop is predicted to be about 27 million bushels – smaller than last year's record crop of nearly 33 million bushels. That'll still keep New York ranked second in apple production nationwide, behind Washington State.