Discovery Ramblings - July 2, 2021
Discovery Ramblings - July 2, 2021
Randy Hooper - Discovery Organics
As I predicted in last week’s ramblings, insane temperatures have had an impact on fruit production across the province. There is absolutely no sense in scaring everyone to death, because headlines at this point would be based on preliminary estimates and emotional reactions, and not what is actually happening.
The fruit season in BC is just starting. We do know that raspberry growers producing for fresh market lost their first set of fruit, but most of the conventional crop (1 million pounds a day in the Fraser Valley) goes directly to frozen. There aren’t many organic or conventional raspberry growers hand pick farms operating in the area because June weather is so unpredictable (what locally we call Juneuary.) The first harvests are underway on blueberries, and when weather affects them, again those who machine pick just send swollen or watery berries to processing (also around 1 million pounds a day locally) and hand pick operations, including most organic ones simply wait for the next set a week later – and there are early and late varieties that are still producing into September. There is local fruit available – depending on where the grower is, how they kept the fruit cool, and how and when it was harvested.
Of course it has been just as hot through the Okanagan, North Okanagan and Kootenay regions, and there will be some impact on cherries and early cots – with some cherry growers starting harvest as early as midnight – much like they do in California when it is too hot to risk picking fruit during the day.
So we will just have to wait and see how this all pans out over the next few weeks as we get accurate reports on what losses there have been.
What may be more worrisome is that without some heat-breaking solid rain this month, and what could be, or more likely will be a devastating forest fire season across much of BC, one of the biggest impacts may be from smoke, which can restrict sunlight by varying amounts – up to 80% - sort of like a week long solar eclipse, and that feature will inhibit growth, reduce apple size etc. Fruit grows because of cell division, and extreme heat and sun blocking smoke inhibit that process.
I had long ago forecast that this was going to be the summer when more and more people realize that the human toll on the environment is real, and urgently needs to change.
I’ll have more news next week!