Case Studies
Climate Change Threatens Apple Production, but It Is Not Too Late to Adapt
Fruit producers are experiencing disruptions and losses due to climate change, requiring adaptation solutions. Financial incentives may provide opportunities to encourage adaptation.
For Ted Furber, operator of Cherry Lawn Fruit Farms, climate change is the most important issue facing the world today. Along with his brother and son-in-law, Furber grows over 250 acres of apples in Wayne County, the largest apple-producing county in New York State. Furber says the effects of climate change are already apparent. In 2012, an exceptionally warm January and February caused the apple trees to break bud and bloom three to four weeks earlier than expected. Soon after, the apple flowers succumbed to a series of spring frosts that reduced the crop by 60%. These losses caused massive disruptions to farm businesses throughout the eastern United States, affecting supply chains and fruit prices.
Highlights
- Climate change, particularly temperature and precipitation changes, is causing losses and disruptions for fruit producers in New York State.
- Multiple adaptation measures are necessary to address multiple climate impacts, but these have upfront costs.
- Financially incentivizing adaptation practices can encourage farmers to employ resilient practices.
Since 2012, three more winters have put Furber on edge about his crop and his farm’s profitability. Certain events in a tree’s annual lifecycle are influenced by weather and climate (known as phenology). Changes in tree phenology, such as budbreak, are well documented, and evidence from climate models suggests these changes will become more severe in the future. To counteract potential losses from spring frosts, Furber and his family installed eight wind machines on Cherry Lawn Fruit Farms at a cost of about $35,000 each. These wind machines mix the cold air near the ground with warmer air from higher up, raising the temperature of the air around the trees and reducing the risk of frost damage. According to Furber, these machines were very rare in his region before the 2012 frost events but are now essential for tree fruit growers.
Spring frost is not the only climate-related issue that Furber and his family are addressing at their farm. Precipitation has become all or nothing, requiring two different, costly solutions. For new plantings, Furber installs tile drainage (subsurface drainage lines) to move excess water out of the fields. This solution is necessary in wet years like 2021, when non-stop rains make everyday farm operations such as spraying, mowing, and harvesting difficult. Wet years also take a toll on the trees themselves: apple tree roots are sensitive to wet soil and can succumb to root pathogens, which can kill entire trees. On the other hand, drier and drought years make irrigation a necessity. Neither ground nor surface water is plentiful in these years, so it is difficult to irrigate the farm without purchasing municipal water at a high price. Extra measures for both drainage and irrigation are becoming a requirement for growing high-quality apples in Wayne County, adding extra expense to the installation of new orchard plantings.
Cherry Lawn Fruit Farms has also experienced a loss of crop diversity because of climate change. Until about 10 years ago, Furber and his family grew peaches for the processing market. While not as high value as apples, peaches provided steady income that protected Furber’s bottom line when there were lower yields or prices for the apple crop. But peaches have become too difficult to grow due to warming winters. During periods of warm temperatures in winter, flower buds de-acclimate and their freeze tolerance is reduced. The buds are then damaged when temperatures drop quickly.
Furber sees value in using sustainable farming practices, such as woodchip mulches that add organic matter to the soil and conserve soil moisture to reduce the need for irrigation in dry years. He views improving soil health as a way to have a positive environmental impact while improving his farm’s bottom line.
Climate change impacts have made Furber think carefully about the farm’s future. In addition to practices that improve the farm’s climate resilience, he also invests in many practices to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint, such as installing solar panels on a new cold-storage facility. Furber is also looking into using electric vehicles for deliveries and would purchase an electric tractor if reliable units were available.
While Furber does his best to adapt to climate change, he knows that many farmers in his area either do not believe in climate change or choose to ignore it, since no one is forcing them to change their production practices or lifestyle. He wants policymakers to financially incentivize practices that help farmers adapt to climate change. Furber believes that everyone must work towards viable solutions for climate impacts now: “It’s not too late.”