After a year without peaches, western Massachusetts farmers optimistic — for now

At this time a year ago, most western Massachusetts fruit orchards reported a total loss of their peach crop, a result of subzero temperatures in February 2023.

This year, orchard managers are reporting their peach buds appear intact.

At Bashista Orchards and Cider Mill in Southampton, the buds appear to have made it through a relatively mild winter and they didn't open during a January thaw, said owner Tom Bashista.

"We were lucky. Everything stayed asleep all winter long and now everything is just starting to swell, and give signs of life," he said.

Clarkdale Farms in Deerfield suffered a total loss of peaches last year. Ben Clark said — fingers crossed — they are looking forward to a healthy crop this season.

"Buds look good so far, but [we] still have to make it through bloom and fruit set," Clark said.

While the subzero temperatures killed the buds last year, the loss may be connected to several warm days in January 2023. When the frigid air arrived, buds on peach trees weren't able to acclimate to the extreme cold.

Last year in Belchertown, Parlee Farms also reported 100% loss of its peach crop.

"[W]e reached -12 degrees Fahrenheit and record cold wind chill of -35 degrees Fahrenheit," Parlee reported last year on its website. "Sadly, this killed our dormant peach and nectarine buds."

Like in other orchards, the trees themselves were fine. Parlee said the farm expects a normal peach yield this summer.

The freeze did end up creating a respite for the trees, said Timothy Smith at Apex Orchards is in Shelburne. Their down time could lead to a very good yield this summer.

"The one danger, obviously, is frost between now and mid-May, where we don't typically have more frost events after that," Smith said.

The loss of peaches last year came before a spring and summer of unusual and intense weather that created huge losses for farmers up and down the Connecticut River Valley.

Apple crop yields were reduced by a frost in May. The freeze came just when trees were blooming or just past bloom and the fruits were starting to develop.

Heavy rains and flooding in July led to millions of dollars in damages and lost crops in western Massachusetts farms.

Large farms may use wind machines if there's a freeze, but the equipment is too costly for many growers — and would not necessarily save the crops.

"Last year, the freeze that we had in May [at Apex Orchards] was just a straight freeze," Smith said. "There was no inversion, there was no warm air higher up to bring down to protect that crop" — if Apex had even had the infrastructure in place.

Still, farms are run by optimists. Smith has already announced the date for Apex's annual August peach festival.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New England Public Media.