Late Spring Frost Affects Fruit Harvest

A series of late spring cold snaps after fruit trees were in bloom have resulted in losses to mid-Atlantic farmers. Losses of apples, cherries, peaches, nectarines, and apricots range anywhere from 70 to 100%. Ben Wenk with Three Springs Fruit Farm just north of Gettysburg, said at a farmers market that an April freeze cost him 95% of his stone fruits…

“We’ve seen climate change manifesting itself in a variety of ways. This is the first time that the changing climate has resulted in a catastrophic frost injury of this magnitude and scope. There’s nobody alive that’s seen anything like this.”