Orchards happy about harvest
Farmers are at the mercy of the elements, and this year is no exception; except that it has turned out to be a much better than 2009 when winter”™s fury and torrential rains washed away profits for many.
Danny Diesing is a second-generation farmer at Meadowbrook Farm, the family”™s orchard and vegetable business in Wappingers Falls, and the last family owned farm in the Dutchess County municipality.
“My grandfather bought the property, strictly on speculation,” Diesing said. “My dad, Robert, arrived at the age of 15 and went to work, clearing away the debris and fixing it up. It was a dairy farm back then, but he realized during the late ”™60s that it was time to do something else.”
Meadowbrook Farm”™s 65 acres depends on apples for its mainstay. There is a smaller grove for peaches and nectarines. Summer vegetables ”“ tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and beans ”“ are sold at the farm”™s market. “Pumpkins bring us to the end of the harvest season,” he said.
Between Danny and his brother, Robert, the days can turn into weeks, the weeks into months, before they get a day off.
“That”™ why dad decided to get out of the dairy business. With animals, it is a 365-day, seven-day a week job. You can”™t take a vacation or plan to be away for any length of time. The animals need constant tending.”
This year, spring”™s early bloom has made it an early season; although the Diesings are doing a lot of irrigating, the drought has brought in a smaller crop of peaches and nectarines. “They look and taste good, but when Mother Nature adds to them, they are huge. It”™s not the same when you irrigate.”
And then, there have been nature”™s curveballs.
“This year”™s spring freeze on Mother”™s Day crippled us. Then last year, we had the huge hailstorm that knocked us for a loop. We are blessed to have regular local customers that have kept us going in good times and in lean ones.”
Hurd”™s Family Farm in Ulster County”™s Modena is a recreational getaway for Hudson Valley residents and visitors, “and we are a big destination for school outings,” said Susan Hurd of the six-generation family farm. “We”™re hoping for good weather, as much of our farm”™s income depends on field trips in the fall. We”™ve had an early harvest because of the weather. Until we know for sure what to expect, I think we”™ll see farming struggling a bit to adjust to the climate changes.”
Farmers are also faced with legal issues, particularly legislation that would give seasonal workers a mandatory day of rest and overtime wages after 40 hours and unemployment once the season ends.
“You have a torrential downpour and everybody”™s sitting the day out watching television. What happens if the ”˜day of rest”™ falls on a day the fruit is ready to be picked? What can you do then? The people who make these decisions are not living the life of a farmer. Perhaps if they did, they”™d approach the matter differently.”
Many farms have formed co-ops, where residents can buy shares of the farm and partake in its bounty ”“ also taking a chance the season may be a bust.
“It is one way for farmers to stay in business,” said Cheryl Rogowski of Pine Island. “We always try to give ”˜pick your own”™ visitors added value. We have a farm-to-table dinner here and serve breakfast and lunch, all from the farm to help sustain us. We need legislators to realize if we are to remain a country that does not need to go outside our borders for our daily bread, they must work to support agriculture, not devastate it.”