El Nino: The Good News and the Bad

Let’s start with the good news: El Nino has been kind to some farmers.

In the Northwest, for example, an exceptionally mild, dry winter means the cherry harvest this year is expected to be at least as big, and possibly bigger, than last year’s record.

Closer to home, thanks to plenty of rain this winter and mild weather during early ripening, apricot producers are looking at what might be their largest fresh-market harvest in a number of years--and in more ways than one.

That’s the good news. The bad news, at least as far as tree fruit is concerned, is that the California cherry industry is taking a beating. The last set of rainstorms that rolled through two weeks ago cut an already reduced crop estimate by a third.

And as for peaches, plums and nectarines, consider that a year ago last week, shippers had already packed 5 million boxes of fruit. This year, they’ve packed only a little more than 500,000. The crop isn’t going to be much less than normal once it arrives; it’s just taking its own sweet time getting here.

Cherries are equally late. Typically, they begin shipping in volume around May 15. This year, it’s going to be more like June 1. That does more than delay gratification. It pushes California growers hard up against the massive Northwest crop, which, cosseted through a gentle season, should begin shipping in quantity about the middle of June.

That eliminates one of California growers’ main economic advantages, which is that they usually have three to four weeks to enjoy higher prices before the big boys kick in.

How big is the Northwest cherry harvest? Figuring Bings alone, the workhorse of the cherry world, farmers will pick from 55,000 to 58,000 tons, compared to California’s 18,000.

This year’s California apricot harvest won’t really get rolling until the third week of June. That’s almost a full month late.

But when it does start, there should be plenty of fruit. In fact, growers are expecting a record harvest this year. And not only is the harvest going to be big, so is the fruit.

“What we’re seeing is probably some of the largest sizes as a percentage of the total crop in history,” says Tom Tjerandsen, manager of the California Fresh Apricot Council. “It’s astonishing how large these apricots are growing.

“There’s a second beneficial impact as well. Because of the very slow and steady growth without dramatic shifts in temperature, we’re finding particularly high sugars. The guys who are measuring this stuff are finding just spectacular levels for this stage of maturity. We’re expecting to have an abundance of large sizes and particularly sweet fruit.”

Of course, all that won’t come without a price. In apricot land, it’s a freak gap in harvesting between the southern and northern growing areas. “It is going to be a desperate four days,” says Tjerandsen, with a straight face. “We have alerted the police departments.”

Farmers’ Market Report

The Southland Farmers’ Market Assn., which usually just coordinates various markets, is experimenting with running a market of its own, the new Thursday market at the Brea Community Center.

As a result, you get pretty much of a greatest-hits collection of farmers at the 3-week-old market.

Summer Harvest from Dinuba has Brooks cherries and will have various stone fruit in a couple of weeks. Jim Van Foeken from Ivanhoe and Polito Farms from northern San Diego County supply citrus, primarily Valencia oranges and Eureka lemons at this time of year, though Polito still has some blood oranges. Van Foeken will have stone fruit, too.

Maria Fetzner from Perris has a wide assortment of vegetables, including some very good-looking green garlic and fava beans. Zuckerman’s is winding up its asparagus season, but it still has purple asparagus and both thin and fat regular asparagus in addition to its assortment of potatoes.

The Weisers, from Tehachapi, have a great collection of potatoes as well, including hard-to-find fingerlings. They also have a new chard variety called Bright Lights, with different-colored stems.

Valdivia Farms from Carlsbad has assorted baby squash and squash flowers, tiny turnips, tomatoes and fingernail-thin haricots verts.

Ahler’s from Mecca has organically grown dates and Honey Pacifica has a wide variety of honeys from all over Southern and Central California, ranging from mild sage, orange blossom and wildflower to the more assertive eucalyptus, pepper tree and buckwheat.

The main herb vendor is Kenter Canyon, which has rosemary, oregano, chives, watercress, chervil, sage, tarragon, mint, parsley and basil as well as arugula and various salad mixes.