Agriculture has always been about adaptation: tweaking practices, nurturing ideal conditions against the year’s odds, and honing in on cultivars that can be coaxed into thriving for a predictable harvest. It’s practicing equal parts ‘planning with foresight’ and ‘embracing what comes’ – and 2021’s cherry season certainly required the stamina and resilience that draws from both elements.
Will the apple harvest in North America require much of the same?
Extreme temperatures added risk and overwhelm to an already punchy harvest timeline, provoking work safety issues and high risk of losing fruit altogether. This has meant production and picking strategy has had to change to accommodate workers, weather, and fruit. Using the right tools to stay organized and on top of spray applications, crew schedules, payouts . . . has never been more important. Croptracker modules like Spray and Punch Clock can help you keep all of the procedural details in check.
The highs and lows of a tough North American cherry season
Here three takeaways from the 2021 cherry season:
1) Extreme regional heat weighs heavy now, and for the future
- The BC Fruit Growers’s Association, based in British Columbia, Canada expressed support this August for an AgriRecovery Program, to financially assist growers impacted by heat. Cherry production in the province has been impacted by negative weather factors for the past three seasons, reducing saleable production.
Funding assistance could support increasing disease and nutrient sprays for weakened trees, improvements to irrigation infrastructure, more testing and quality analysis, and more. Jealous Fruits, based in Okanagan Valley, reported at the beginning of August an optimistic harvest of late summer varieties, planted at a higher altitude than other cherry growing regions
- Northwest cherry growers estimated in mid-July that incredibly intense heat waves resulted in 20 percent crop loss. The all-time high temperatures were a result of a heat dome phenomenon. Accelerated harvest dates and night picking helped to salvage yields. Though some growers suffered huge crop loss this season, others in the region have still enjoyed high yields, with the Pacific Northwest industry shipping an average of 420,000 boxes per day in early July.
- California’s northern districts reported early season successes thanks to ideal weather for minimal disease impact. The peak of the season occurred before the major heat wave began, with Coral Champagne and Bing cherry varieties topping the chart in volumes.
2) Night work became critical to continued operations
Some crops were already picked at night , due to the benefits for certain varietal characteristics. For cherries, night picking removes the risk of stem browning and fruit damage. But night shifts are becoming more common in order to ensure crew wellness and productivity through cooler conditions, too.
The extreme daytime temperatures during the growing season are here to stay, which means night work is necessary to avoid workplace injury and death. One study examining possible solutions for farm workers found that the number of unsafe working days for farm workers will double by the middle of the century — in Merced, California, they’ll climb from 20 to 54 annually. Areas like Florida, with a combination of high heat and humidity, will be unsafe for the entirety of the growing season.
There are additional benefits to picking at night. In British Columbia, Canada, producer Jealous Fruits launched a night picking trial last season that offered significant improvements in work morale, earnings, and cherry quality. Picking crews can accommodate longer shifts without competing against the sun, and there’s a better chance of harvest staying on the intended schedule. The different lighting conditions of night picking helps cherries stand out better on the tree, with crews using focused headlamps instead of relying on natural light conditions.
As much as switching to night work helps alleviate pressing heat issues, it also requires other considerations. To accommodate night shifts, crews need to be able to sleep comfortably during the high daytime temperatures, so Jealous Fruits have been retrofitting dorms with air conditioning that were previously without.
Visibility is a critical workplace safety concern, so night crews wear reflective strips and the orchard is well-lit around tractors, trailers, and loading areas. Since night work requires inverting natural sleep rhythms, there is risk of trips, falls, or collisions due to that body disruption – this timing may also simply not be viable for some workers, and could be another factor in maintaining adequate staffing.
3) 2021’s overall yield was a testament to adaptation
Being able to adapt to fluctuating conditions has always been key to farming success. Shifting work and harvest schedules, continued adherence to COVID-19 pandemic protocols, and overall crew dedication enabled a salvaged year for North American cherries. It’s hard to say what will happen in the future, but the lessons learned each year offer the chance to keep improving on adaptation skills vital to agriculture.
What are the best growing conditions for cherries?
Standard-sized cherry trees yield on average 30 to 50 quarts of fruit per season, and enjoy lots of sun, good air circulation, as well as deep, well-drained soil. Growing sweet cherries is best in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7; and sour varieties prefer zones 4 to 6. Some growing areas, such as parts of Ontario, Canada, experience winter temperatures that can cause cold injury to shoots, fruit spurs, trunks, and roots, with high risk of damage during spring from frost conditions. The average first harvest dates range across cultivars.
Sweet cherry cultivars tend to be self-unfruitful, so planting mixed blocks of compatible pollinizers is crucial to successful cross-pollination that leads to quality production. Achieve adequate levels of pollination in the orchard by planting every fourth tree location and every fourth row with a pollenizer cultivar, with the aim of having 50 percent of flowers setting fruit. Timing cultivars’ flowering at the same time is recommended for ideal cross-pollination.
Navigating farm worker safety during high temperatures
Standard safety practices can vary from region to region due to a lack of federally mandated requirements around contemporary conditions like extreme heat. But some states, like California, Oregon, Washington and Minnesota already had heat illness prevention regulation and lighting standards that provide tangible parameters for reducing workplace risk factors. More states have enacted new protection measures as unprecedented temperatures add pressure.
Heat stress prevention through education, planning
The Centers for Disease Control found in 2008 that U.S. crop workers are 20 times more likely to die from illnesses related to heat stress than U.S. civilian workers overall. Though this number is dated, researchers say this increased threat is the same if not worse than it once was as temperatures continue to rise. As high heat and humidity become increasingly more common, the amount of unsafe work condition days is anticipated to double by 2050.
Emergency orders in Washington state and Oregon mandate that employers must provide at least a quart of cool drinking water per hour to workers, offer safety training about outdoor heat exposure, and proactively respond to employees with symptoms of heat-related illness.
What are some highlights from the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021?
After a long stretch of negotiations, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 passed the House vote this March. This iteration of the proposed bill combines requests and concessions from Democrats, Republicans, farmworker organizations, and employer associations, in the hopes of improving pressing labor issues within US agriculture. Some of the notable legislative updates proposed focus on improving worker safety standards.
Through modification of the current H-2A program, H-2A employers would be required to maintain a heat illness plan, including appropriate training, access to water and shade, and emergency response plans. This occupational safety protection aims to increase education around how to avoid injury from heat exposure, and ultimately reduce death and injuries in the fields.
The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 still requires passing from the Senate and President in order to become law.
Better track overnight shifts, applications with Punch Clock and Spray’s strong reporting
Croptracker’s Punch Clock module is designed specifically for the ag industry, which means having features that allow for flexible and relevant documentation of who accomplishes what tasks, for which exact location, and when. Staying organized when conditions are tough or changing is even more important, so there is less distraction and improved trust and calm among crew members.
Logging night shifts
When inputting worker shifts through Croptracker’s mobile or web browser platforms, how info is entered is up to the user. Shifts that carry over two dates can be logged as one shift, with hours attributed to the initial date, or split into two separate entries to clearly show the two dates worked.
Adhering to minimum wage requirements
A piece rate pay structure requires paying workers by every ‘unit’ produced or harvested, regardless of the activity. Per piece units could look like the number of rows sprayed or weeded; trees trimmed, or fruit picked. Workers must not be paid less than minimum wage after computation of the per-hour price equivalency, and as well employers must also comply with overtime compensation and ensure they keep accurate records.
Though it’s entirely possible to calculate and verify suitable pay rates on your own, Croptracker’s Punch Clock module simplifies matters through its upfront data configuration. Enter the regional minimum wage for an employee at the time of creation on the system, and there’s no longer need to worry about pay gaps. Croptracker’s pay reports ensure that employees are always paid at least the specified minimum hourly wage equivalent when paying by piece.
Ensuring safe re-entry after spray applications
Trees weaken when exposed to intense heat conditions, which means there could be a heightened risk of disease and rot that requires more extensive spray treatments in the orchard. With shifts happening at night, sometimes for the first season, the timing change means it’s even more critical that teams are clear on when it’s safe to re-enter a treated area.
Confusion could arise regarding when the appropriate amount of time has passed after an orchard treatment, for what date, if applications are done in the early morning hours of a day -- but perhaps a shift technically started in the late evening of the day before. Avoid unnecessary risk and injury with Croptracker’s Spray module, and keep clear records of who applied what, where, and receive accurate, automatic Post-Harvest Interval re-entry notifications that adhere to the required safety protocols.
What is expected for this year’s apple harvest?
The 2021 apple harvest is starting to gain steam, starting in the western North American production markets: will the weather have greatly impacted yield?
Intense sun and heat, like what’s been seen in the Yakima Valley of Washington, could cause some apples to develop sunburn-like blotches that render them defective. Tactics for avoiding this include using shade cloth over apple trees. It’s effective, but expensive, so operations like Gilbert Orchards opt to cover only the highest value apples, like Honeycrisp.
Anticipated US apple production for the 2021-2022 crop year expects an excess of 11.1 billion pounds, an increase of 2.7% over the prior season, according to detailed calculations produced by the US Agriculture Department. Gala, Red Delicious, and Honeycrisp take the top variety spots for highest yields. Croptracker wishes the apple sector all the best as the harvest season kicks into high gear!
Croptracker develops agtech solutions for industry leaders. Our mission is to make crop production safer, more efficient, and more profitable. Designed with fresh market producers and distributors in mind, every tool we create is based on direct industry feedback. Croptracker’s award-winning farm software optimizes recordkeeping, labor tracking, production and cost management. Our integrative Harvest Quality Vision technology offers instant empirical analysis of crop samples exactly when you need it. Optimize your harvest season with Croptracker’s customizable solutions: learn more about our Farm Management Software, or book a demonstration to schedule a meeting with our product experts.Croptracker develops agtech solutions for industry leaders. Our mission is to make crop production safer, more efficient, and more profitable. Designed with fresh market producers and distributors in mind, every tool we create is based on direct industry feedback. Croptracker’s award-winning farm software optimizes recordkeeping, labor tracking, production and cost management. Our integrative Harvest Quality Vision technology offers instant empirical analysis of crop samples exactly when you need it. Optimize your harvest season with Croptracker’s customizable solutions: learn more about our Farm Management Software, or book a demonstration to schedule a meeting with our product experts.
