Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 18, 2017 | Worcester Business Journal 11 My favorite apple is... As Central Massachusetts orchards see a return to normal apple yields, WBJ readers online weighed in on their favorite type of the fruit, with the answers being as varied as the breeds. F L A S H P O L L Now that pick-your- own farmers are expected to have more apples this fall, what's your favorite kind of apple? COMMENTS: My favorite apple is the Honey Crisp. And the best orchard/vegetable stand is Ferjulian's in Hudson, Mass. Fantastic! Mcintosh 23.2% Helping your business to succeed is our business. As one of the area's leading providers of financial solutions for businesses, The Milford National has the expertise to fit your business with a custom-tailored financing package to help put your plans into action. Here's just some of what we offer: Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender SBA Preferred Lender • Commercial Loans • Commercial Mortgages Main Office: 300 East Main Street, Milford, MA 01757 • 508-634-4100 To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call us at 508-634-4100 or visit www.milfordnational.com • SBA Loans • Commercial Online Banking (Cash Management) 2017MNB_ComLendingAd_FullColor_4_3x5_5_sk2.indd 1 9/5/17 4:42 PM Drought Monitor. That, coupled with a late freeze on Valentine's Day, had a devastating effect on apples and other fruits, said Jon Clements on the UMass Fruit Extension program. That drought slowly subsided to the point where just less than 20 percent of the state was classified as abnormally dry. USDA projects 10-year high in orchard yield According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), last year's apple crop of about 29 million pounds was among the smallest in 10 years, second only to the 28 million number in 2012. This year, the USDA is expecting about 46 million pounds of apples, the highest mark in 10 years. "There will be lots of apples and they'll be big," Clements said. The numbers vary, but most organi- zations tracking the production of apples agree that the apple crop has made a stark turnaround from last year. The New England Apple Association expects an apple crop that's about 38 percent larger than last year's and about 14 percent higher than the region's five-year average. According to the U.S. Apple Association, the state's apple crop is expected to grow by 59 percent from last year and 19 percent above the state's five year average. Koshivas said his apples are averag- ing about double the size they were last year. He applied the same metrics to the amount of apples. "Last year was a scrape-by year," he said. "Nobody made any money last year." Despite some hail in the late spring and early summer, Gerard Beirne said his apples at Berlin Orchards are look- ing fantastic. Last year's "drought was very, very severe, no doubt about it," Beirne said, noting the dry conditions actually helped keep stress off of the weak trees last year by limiting the size of the fruit. He had those same concerns coming into this year, but they looked good in the spring and are still doing well. "We had a fabulous bloom and everything went great," he said. Orchard worker Bertie Henry helps to gather apples at Berlin Orchards, which hopes this year's strong crop brings out more apple pickers. To compensate for the small crop last year, he offered fewer apples for whole- saling to save more for the pick-your- own season. "That's where the best bang for the dollar is, in retail," he said. Hoping for sun Now, farmers hope the weather stays nice and relatively dry, at least on the weekends, so families can go apple picking so the larger-than-normal crop doesn't go to waste. Apple season just officially started late last month and it's been a bit wet on a few Sundays, but like a true farmer who literally weathers the storm, Beirne said it'll all work out. "Not every day is Sunday and not every day is sunny," he said. Gala 15.9% Other 33.4% Fuji 13% Granny Smith 8.7% 5.8% Red delicious Macoun is my favorite. It's a cross between a Macintosh and an old- time breed known as a Jersey Black. Stayman- Winesap, no contest. W

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