The past two weeks has seen its fair share of inclement weather across the Okanagan and after seeing helicopters flying above farms to dry off this year’s cherry crop, farmers talk about how the rain has affected their farming season.
“Most of our stock is completely unpickable,” said Shelley Kempf, owner of Kempf Orchards. “Probably one of the worst years in 20 years.”
Shelley and her husband Herb have seen about 50 to 60 per cent of their cherries split, causing the early crop of cherries to be all but wiped out.
“Cherries do not want rain,” Kempf said. “We are going to try and keep going.”
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Kempf is trying to stay hopeful while going through the process of filing for crop insurance compensation and said that the crop later in summer might prove to be fresh and healthy. Otherwise, her nine-acre farmland will not be profitable.
Penny Gambell from Gambell Farms has a variety of crops on their farm, diversifying their portfolio so the impact from poor weather is minimal.
“It’s been a challenge, that’s for sure,” she said with a nervous laugh. “It’s been challenging.”
But overall, Gambell said her cherries are extra sweet this year, definitely pickable and will recover later in summer, weather permitting.
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“A lot of farmers are keeping an eye on the weather but also planning for it,” said BC Fruit Growers’ Association president Bhupinder Dhaliwal.
There are many tactics farmers can use to mitigate damage to their crops Dhaliwal explained, such as proactive irrigation management, rain guards for the cherries or helicopter drying.
Gambell said helicopter drying isn’t economically worth it unless you have at least 10 acres. Instead, she said her son has been drying the cherries after rain fall to keep the cherries from serious splitting.
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David.venn@kelownacapnews.com
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