Maritime apple farmers race to get crops off trees in time

With the changing leaves and brisk air, New Brunswick apple farmers are facing a bushel of obstacles this year.

With about only two weeks left in the season, trees at Irishview Apple Management need to be picked quickly, but it’s easier said than done.

"We had 54 persons that said they were coming. When harvest time came 32 showed up and we've been struggling,” explained Reg Petitpas, one of the owners. “We say even with the perfect weather we're going to struggle to pick up the crop."

As a whole, Petitpas says when the orchard is running at full capacity, Irishview Apple Management needs about 80 pickers.

For now, fewer hands make for more work and unfortunately, local orchards are facing more than just the regular season hurdles this year.

"We lost probably 25 per cent of our crop that fell on the ground during Fiona and those apples are worth like 10 cents on the dollar, they're going to go for deer apples,” said Petitpas.

“Then the other issue that we're having this year, we're having more bruising in our apples, because the ones that didn't fall on the ground, a lot of them kind of hit together."

Petitpas says, between fallen apples and ones that were bruised, he's probably lost 50 per cent of the crop.

At Belliveau Orchard in Memramcook, Fiona has also left her mark.

"There was a few rows that were directly impacted by the wind, straight wind,” said Yanic Vautour, the program manager. “We lost a few rows, beginning of each row for the trellis system, and we mostly lost, I would say, about 15 per cent of our apples that were on the trees."

He says at their busiest time of year, there is still a lot to be done.

Adding, "we have about, I would say, one or two-thirds left to be picked up. We have a huge crew that's picking every day.”

U-Pick apples are available daily at both orchards until the end of the season.