Visitors who make the drive to Northern Virginia’s pick-your-own farms this summer may want to adjust their expectations. The cherry trees that typically draw crowds in late spring are bare at some orchards. Peach seasons will be shorter. Berry harvests are smaller.
The culprit was a series of late-April freezes that arrived at exactly the wrong time, striking just as many fruit trees were blooming.
At Hollin Farms in Delaplane, owner Shannon Davenport knew almost immediately that the season had changed. “The biggest problem we had was, like everybody else, those late spring freezes that we had,” Davenport says.
Cherry, Peaches, Plum Crops Affected
Even with propane-powered orchard heaters running through the night, the farm lost its entire cherry crop. It also lost all of its apricots and a significant portion of its peaches and plums.
The loss was particularly frustrating because the trees were loaded with blossoms. “We had a huge crop coming on those cherries,” Davenport says. “The bloom was magnificent.”
While some peach varieties survived, the missing cherries created a ripple effect throughout the farm. Cherry season normally brings visitors who often leave with baskets of vegetables from Hollin’s gardens as well. “Without the fruit as the main draw, you can’t get people out to do the other things,” Davenport says.
The story has played out across the region. At Hartland Orchard in Markham, the freeze wiped out the cherry harvest entirely.
“Hartland Orchard was hit hard by the spring freeze,” owner Bill Green said in a recorded message to customers. “We will not have any cherries for pick-your-own this year.”
At Great Country Farms in Bluemont, geography helped determine what lived and what didn’t. The farm’s lower orchards sustained heavy damage, while trees planted higher along the slopes of the Blue Ridge escaped the worst of the cold.
“All of our orchards that were on the lower side were frozen out this spring,” says co-owner Kate Zurschmeide. “We had a much smaller cherry crop, and we have a much smaller peach crop.”
The difference came down to elevation. Cold air settled in lower areas, while higher orchards remained just warm enough to save part of the harvest. Even so, the peach season will be abbreviated.
“Normally we pick peaches for eight weeks,” Zurschmeide says. “This year we’re probably going to pick a couple weekends.”
Significant Weather Challenges
For growers, the freeze marked the second consecutive year of significant spring weather challenges. For visitors, it means being flexible. Many farms are updating their websites daily as crop availability changes. “The No. 1 thing I would tell your readers is to always, always, always check with the farm before they make a trip out to pick,” Zurschmeide says.
Despite the losses, local growers are optimistic that there will still be plenty to pick in the months ahead, including peaches, apples, blackberries and vegetables. “It’s been a tough year,” Davenport says. “Availability is going to vary from week to week, and we’re just trying to do the best we can to keep things going.”
While this year’s harvest may look different, growers say there will still be opportunities to fill baskets, support local farms, and enjoy the experience that keeps visitors returning season after season.
Feature image courtesy Great Country Farms
