It’s apple season in the Tri-State, and some local orchards say there's plenty of fruit for the picking.
Luke McGlasson is from McGlasson Farms in Hebron, Kentucky.
“We're not overwhelmed with apples, but [there’s] plenty to go around,” McGlasson said. “I'd say it's kind of what you shoot for, kind of the ideal spot to be in.”
He says the weather “cooperated” this year, which is leading to a plentiful harvest.
Apple crops can be sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation, like the heavy rainfall the Tri-State saw earlier this summer. Apples can get diseases, including fungal rot, from conditions being too humid or wet. McGlasson says that didn’t cause many issues for his fruit.
He doesn't foresee August's drier-than-usual conditions having a negative impact on the apples, either.
“There's certain varieties where rain in the fall can actually crack the skin, so having a little dry spell during harvest is actually another good thing,” McGlasson said.
The farm opened its "pick-your-own" apple orchards the week before Labor Day. McGlasson expects it to continue for a few more weeks.
A Southeast Indiana farm, Backyard Orchard, is seeing a similarly fruitful season. It grows apples in Rising Sun and sells them at farmers markets around Cincinnati.
“It's been a really good year,” said Nathan Sauerhage, who runs the farm with his dad, Dennis.
He says the main challenge was the rain this summer.
"Some of the apple varieties that are more prone to summer rots, like everybody's favorite Honeycrisp, really got hit pretty hard by the wet conditions," Sauerhage said.
Despite that, he says most varieties are producing heavily. Backyard Orchard grows at least 30 types of apples.
Sauerhage says now, cooler weather is helping ripen, and brighten, the crop.
“It's the temperature contrast. It gets pretty warm during the day, and then it cools off at night. It really brings out the color in the apples, so the apples will be a little bit prettier than they might be in a season where the weather is a little bit more stable,” Sauerhage said.
Apple picking and harvesting season usually lasts through October.
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