DIXMONT, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- The cool morning air reminded many of us that fall is just around the corner and with it apple picking season. Many farmers were worried about this year's crop after the early arrival of spring and the late April frost.
John Olsen of Maine-ly Apples in Dixmont expected the worst, "If it blooms too early and then we get one of these Canadian highs comes in and it gets too cold anything below thirty-two degrees can get dangerous. If it gets down to twenty-five, or twenty-six degrees it just burns those blossoms right off."
Fortunately, many Northern New England orchards survived because the apple blossoms were not opened enough to be impacted.
Olsen experienced how dangerous a late frost can be, last year almost forty-percent of his crops were ruined when Mother Nature dropped the temperatures.
"We had some ripen a little bit early this year, but the crop might be a little early but not extraordinarily early. Things are pretty much on track for us and the crops look good," said Olsen. "We lucked out. It has been a hard growing season in a lot of areas in the country."
Big tier apple growing states like Massachusetts, Michigan and New York suffered from the early spring and late freeze. According to Olsen, almost eighty to ninth percent of the crops were destroyed.
Big corporate companies started looking elsewhere for inventory. Motts Corporate office sent a letter to Maine-ly Apples offering to buy their entire crop.
"They weren't fussy about what they got. They just wanted volume," explained Olsen.
But he said it was never an option because of his customers.
Some Southern Maine apple orchards have announced an early arrival of their crops which could mean a shorter You-Pick season.
Maine-ly Apples kicks off their You-Pick season with their annual Maine Apple Sunday on August ninth.
NEWS CENTER