Farmers get jump on year

Spring of 2010 could be grow season of the decade

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

This spring's unseasonably warm weather may mean it will be a banner year for area farmers, many of whom are expecting fresh local crops will be ready for the dinner table far earlier than in years past. One Westhampton farmer said he's seeing his fruit trees in bloom earlier this year than they have in five decades.

Thanks to a March that was one of the warmest in state history, local orchard owners are reporting their apples, peaches and plums are blossoming early, while others say that beets, peas and asparagus are growing in their fields more than two weeks ahead of schedule.

Russell Braen, owner of Park Hill Orchard in Easthampton, said that as long as a late frost doesn't knock out the peach buds growing on his trees, all signs are pointing to a great spring farming season.

"We have a ton of our plants up early, we have already planted all of our potatoes, our garlic came up really early and our peaches are all already out," Braen said. "My feeling is that this is going to be the growing year of the decade. Things are looking really good for local farmers."

Braen reviewed his records and said he began preparing his fields 17 days earlier than last year. He's hopeful that the head start will allow him to have fresh fruit and vegetables ready at his farm stand earlier than ever.

"Usually we can't bring our tractor or any of our heavy equipment into the fields this early in the season because the ground isn't ready, but now that the ground is firmed up, we are already mowing out there, which is pretty crazy for this time of year," Braen said.

Another area orchard owner reporting an early crop in his 1,000-tree orchard is Tom Bashista, owner of Bashista orchards in Southampton, who said he is glad to see blossoms but worries that if overnight temperatures drop below freezing he could lose all of his fruit.

"Just having blossoms out earlier than usual doesn't necessarily mean it will be a good year. It just means that you are in a position where you could fail if you catch a late frost," Bashista said. If he can avoid that, he said, "it will definitely be nice for local consumers to have our fresh fruit ready two weeks earlier than last year."

Bashista also noted that the Valley was unscathed by late-winter storm systems that dumped several feet of snow on states along the Eastern seaboard, which has put area farmers ahead of their competitors.

Although he said the Valley has had frosts as late as mid-May, News 22 meteorologist Brian Lapis doesn't expect to see one in the near future.

"I don't see that happening right now," Lapis said, "if we were going to have had a devastating frost this year it probably would have happened already on one of the chilly mornings we have had recently."

Despite a March that saw many daily high-temperature marks that toppled previous state records, Lapis said in New England the potential for unseasonably colder weather is unlikely but always possible.

"Overnight lows are looking like they could go down into the low 30s," Lapis said. "But I don't see a hard freeze in our future."

Brad Morse, owner of Outlook Farm in Westhampton, said his cherries, peaches and plums are blooming earlier than they have in 50 years.

"The earliest we've seen our trees bloom has been in the very end of April, and this year we saw it start to happen in the second week of April," Morse said, adding, "If we can get our crops out on the early market, that is always a good thing."

Also reporting the appearance of crops earlier than in years past is Joe Czajkowski. owner of Czajkowski's Farm in Hadley, who said in addition to the early appearance of his asparagus, peas and beets, he has noticed his peach orchard is already blooming.

"Having our vegetables out early is always a great sign for us," Czajowski said. "We just have to hope this weather holds up."

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.