Apples survive rainy start to the season

ADDISON COUNTY — Kent Ridge Orchards in Cornwall did not have its best apple season this year, but it could have been worse. “We had an odd bloom pattern this spring,” said orchard manager Blake Harrison in an email to the Independent. “The orchard is located across an east-facing ridge, and I saw a distinct stripe running from north to south across the ridge, where the (McIntosh) trees had a really low bloom count.” Roughly eight trees out of each row at a particular elevation had a poor bloom, he explaine … (read more)

ADDISON COUNTY — This year’s apple crop so far is looking fairly average. That’s a good thing, suggests Eric Boire, president of the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association. “Non-headline-making crops provide stability,” Boire told the Independent in an em … (read more)