ROANN – For most farmers this year’s drought will take its toll on their corn and possibly soybean crops. But if they harvest anything it will be better than the Midwest apple harvest this year.
David Doud, owner of Doud’s County Line Orchard, can attest to the loss – his 20-acre fruit farm will produce nothing this fall.
“I actually have four crops,” he told the Plain Dealer. “I have strawberries, which are a June crop, then peaches around the first week in August through the first week of September. I have apples around the first week of August and several varieties of pears the first week of September.
“But the apples are 75 percent of my business.”
The orchard, located on County Road 400N south of Roann, has been in and out of the family for generations.
“It was first owned by my great-great-grandfather,” he explained. “It had other owners until Dad bought it back in 1961. My wife, Valerie, and I bought it from him in 1980.”
For the first time ever, Doud has experienced a total crop failure.
“We will not open this year. We have no apples … not even a few,” he said. “I’ve never see a 100 percent wipeout.”
But unlike the other farmers, Doud cannot attribute the loss to the drought.
“We had a warm March and (the apple trees) broke dormancy a month early,” he explained. “Then we had freezes on the 11th and 12th of March. Then it dropped down to 23 degrees in April.”
The trees bloomed too early and then froze. There was nothing to be done about it.
“You know, the average person doesn’t understand weather events that lead up to lost crop,” Kelly Shanley, owner of Doud Orchards in Miami County, said. “But sometimes it just happens.”
Shanley purchased the business from Doud a year ago. He said he has some apples for sale, but his crop took a huge hit as well.
“We will still be open,” he noted. “And about mid-September we will have our harvest party, with apple cider, live entertainment and other events as always.”
Doud said he is certainly not alone this year.
“It’s been a significant crop loss for sure,” he said. “But it has hit a large part of the Midwest, like Michigan, Illinois and even western New York.”
But even though the crop is gone, Doud is optimistic.
“I’m actually enjoying my freedom,” he said. “In October we are going to San Diego to visit our son who is in school. I have never taken a vacation in October in my life.”
He is still going to farmer’s markets all around the state, if nothing more than to let his loyal customers know he may be down, but he’s not out.
“Who knows, next season may be my best season ever.”