The recent spate of wet weather has been nothing short of disastrous for many upstate New York apple-picking farms that make most of their annual income from tourists filling bags with Galas, McIntoshes and Granny Smiths during two months, the New York Times reported. Nearly 11 inches of rain have fallen on the region in September and October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 33 percent above normal. But those numbers don’t capture the true extent of the bad luck: The wettest days have disproportionately fallen on weekends, when pick-your-own farms receive most of their visitors. Commercial orchard crews work rain or shine, and this year’s downpours haven’t kept them from getting the apples off the trees. The general public, though, prefers to pick apples in nice weather. Normally the apple picking season closes at the end of October, but with so much fruit left on the trees this year, some farms are planning to extend into November, hoping the weather will stay warm enough to preserve the picking for another week or two. Most, however, have resigned themselves to the idea that there’s no chance of making up for all the income they’ve lost. For some, that will mean taking on new debt, or delaying repairs, or putting off equipment purchases for another year.
