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AMERICAN FORK -- An impending storm has most of us gearing up for the change. It's still warm, but the wind is strong and it may mean the end of the road for this summer's crops.
As the storm got closer, workers at Mitchell's Orchard in American Fork spent the afternoon and evening picking all of the apples they could to keep them from being blown onto the ground.
"The wind, we're worried about the wind; trying to get all those off today--varieties that are ready, obviously," said fruit grower Jeff Mitchell. "There are some varieties that are going to have to wait, but the wind will be more damaging than the cold temperatures."
Workers also began harvesting all of the tomatoes they could off the vines, even if they weren't ripe yet, because they will be damaged by the cold.
"We're working as fast as we can, trying to get all the tomatoes out of the field; tomatoes and sweet corn. If it gets down in the low 30s [it] will damage them," Mitchell said.
For fruit growers and produce farmers, facing challenges with the weather is just part of the job. From concerns about frost in the late spring to the early fall, they are always wondering about the unpredictable changing seasons.
"Weather is always a factor, but it's that time of year when it's going to change. And it's been really nice, and we're due for a change. So, we're hurrying to make the most of it for the last day or two," Mitchell said. "But it's been good. It's been a good harvest."
Wednesday's storm may also shorten the annual fall colors in the mountains; snow could be covering the leaves by morning.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
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