Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SANTAQUIN — Hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh fruit are gone after extreme weather wiped out an entire season’s harvest for a Utah County farmer. The loss spans acres of orchards in Santaquin and Genola, where a fourth-generation operation now faces a year without any fruit to pick. Kent Pyne, who runs Pyne Farms, said there is nothing left to harvest this year. His 53 acres of tart cherries, apple and peach trees—normally full this time of year—are instead bare. Pyne Farms has been in operation since 1903, but this season has brought a rare and devastating outcome: a complete crop failure. In a typical year, his trees would be covered in developing tart cherries, apples and peaches. Instead, most of the fruit never developed. “We’re not going to take anything — nothing,” he said. He showed trees that would usually be loaded with cherries, now left with only remnants. “This is basically the remnants … 99.9% of the cherries just turned black,” Pyne said. The story is the same across the orchard. Apple and peach trees are also empty. “This would have peaches stacked all the way down each limb,” he explained. [gallery ids="908420,908422,908421"] The damage is being blamed on unusual and extreme weather patterns. An early warm spell caused trees to bloom three to four weeks earlier than normal. That was followed by three hard freezes, killing the developing fruit. “The trees thought winter was over … then we lost all of our fruit,” Pyne said. “We’re not the only ones. Most farms in this area—and many across the state—have total crop failure.” For consumers, the statewide fruit loss estimated between 90 to 95% could mean slightly higher prices, with out-of-state growers helping to fill the gap. However, fruit from Pyne Farms fruit will not be available in markets this year. The last time the farm experienced a complete crop failure was in 1972. “It’s depressing. It’s sad,” Pyne said. “But I know it’s not like this every year. We just have to make the best of a bad situation.” The farm now looks ahead to next season, hoping for more favorable conditions. In the meantime, friends have organized an online fundraiser* to help support the farm.
Other reading: UDOT finalizes its plan to handle travel in Big Cottonwood Canyon
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
