Apple growers concerned crops may be lost this season
Apple growers across the region are concerned their crops may be lost due to the wild weather swings. With temperatures climbing and dipping weekly, growers hope the buds hold off until at least April.
Tom and Karen Ferri have had their apple orchard in Clarksburg since 2012. They have about 50,000 apple trees on their 20 acres.
"If the bloom comes out and we get a frost or a freeze, we lose the bloom, we lose the apples, we lose the crop," said Karen.
Karen says some of the buds have already started to swell.
"If that happens, it's not going to be a happy ending," she added. "The buds are swelling - the buds haven't broken yet. This cooler weather today and cooler in the evenings for the next little while is our friend because it keeps them cocooned inside the bud. We don't want them coming out of the bud yet," shared Karen.
This year's weather patterns have been similar to those of 2012, a year when many crops were lost.
"We are holding our breath. Some of the temperatures we've had in the last week parallel what we had in 2012 which was an absolute disastrous year. However, these cooler temperatures today and through the evenings are good for us," said Karen.
"If everything goes right, we want 50 apples per tree," said Tom.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The Ferris grows seven different varieties of apples, and most of their product ends up in the GTA. They are still winter pruning their trees in anticipation of the season.
"We need to be able to feed ourselves locally. We don't need to be dependent on importing food," Karen said.
Apple growers say they would be thrilled to see about another month of cooler temperatures, but that's up to Mother Nature.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Zendaya tennis movie ‘Challengers’ scores at weekend box office
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.