Cranberry Outlook Pt 1
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. Washington cranberry harvest has begun in the Southwest corner of the state and, from what we’re hearing, the fruit is looking pretty good so far.
85-year-old Malcom McPhail and his wife Ardell have been growing cranberries for 32 years and says it’s early, but he likes what he’s seen so far …
McPHAIL … “I think we have an average crop. We harvested one section yesterday that was pretty good. It was the second highest we’ve had on that particular bog in the, over ten-year period.”
McPhail says the early summer “heat wave” didn’t hit them as hard as some …
McPHAIL … “We only had one hot day. We measured 96 or 97 here. The town said it was over 100, but that was only one day during all that heated time. So, we feel fortunate for that.”
But, McPhail says it’s still early …
McPHAIL … “And I would tell you that with just harvesting yesterday and then we start in earnest on Monday, so we’ll know a lot more by the time the week goes by, but at this moment I guess I would say that it should be a fairly good year.”
Maybe not the 22,000 barrels produced last year, but, McPhail says, still good …
McPHAIL … “It will be. I’m guessing it will be 16 or 18,000 barrels, probably.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on this year’s Washington cranberry outlook.
