Cazenovia, N.Y. — Critz Farms in Cazenovia has been forced to close its pick-your-own apple orchard this season due to the effects of a devastating frost in late May.
While the annual U-pick won’t happen this year, Critz will have apples for sale on the stand, and will also offer many of its other fall activities, including its corn maze, cider pressing and pumpkin picking. It will also continue to serve its house-made beers and hard ciders from its tasting room at 3232 Rippleton Road (Route 13), south of the village of Cazenovia.
Critz Farms annual Fall Festival will go on as planned from Sept. 16 to Oct. 22, but without the U-pick for apples. The farm is also a big destination for Christmas trees later in the year, and that has not been affected.
Owner Matthew Critz called the effects of the May frost highly unusual. The temperature dipped to 23 degrees for two hours overnight on May 18, after many of the apple trees had started to bloom.
“One night, two hours, ruined the whole season (for U-pick),” Critz said. He pointed out that his orchards sit at a higher elevation than many of the others in Central New York, making the situation there worse.
While the losses were high, Critz said there are still plenty of apples for making hard and sweet cider.
“We have lots of juice,” he said.
The effects of the May frost this year led to 31 counties across New York being designated as natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The frost affected grapes along with apples and other fruit. Affected farmers may qualify for federal aid under the designation.
Scientists at Cornell University estimated the loss of the apple crop in some counties was as high as 35%. New York is the second largest apple-growing state in the nation.
But the impact has varied from orchard-to-orchard in Central New York.
At Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, which sprawl across the towns of LaFayette and Onondaga, some trees suffered severe damage, while others produced a bumper crop, said orchard manager Peter Fleckenstein.
“We have sections where one end of the row was wiped out and at the other end we have 120% of the fruit we’d normally see,” he said. “It was highly variable.”
U-pick at Beak & Skiff started last week, and continues with Gala apples this week and MacIntosh starting next week, Fleckenstein said.
For the situation at the many other orchards across Central New York, it’s best to call ahead to determine what’s available and when.
Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at (315) 470-2297 or dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.
