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BOUNTIFUL HARVEST:This year's summer heat has made for a great season for beach goers and sun worshippers
July 28, 2010
THIS YEAR'S SUMMER HEAT HAS MADE FOR A GREAT SEASON FOR BEACH GOERS AND SUN WORSHIPPERS, BUT IT'S ALSO MEANT GOOD GROWING CONDITIONS FOR PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY FARMERS.
NEWSWATCH'S ERIN HOWE EXPLAINS.
STEVE BLACK IS GETTING SOME PRODUCE READY FOR MARKET DAY IN BELLEVILLE.
BLACK:"WE HAVE TO PICK EVERYTHING THE DAY BEFORE, AND THEN WE TAKE IT, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO BE COOLED, IT GOES IN THE COOLER."
A BALANCE OF HOT WEATHER AND RAIN HAS TRANSLATED INTO GOOD GROWING CONDITIONS - THOUGH THE SEASON DIDN'T START OUT THAT WAY.
BLACK" EVERY YEAR HAS IT'S CHALLENGES, WE STARTED OFF ABNORMALLY WARM AND DRY, SO WE WERE IRRIGATING IN MAY, WHICH IS USUALLY UNHEARD OF, AND NOW, WE'VE HAD ADEQUATE MOISTURE, AND THE EXCESS HEAT HAS BROUGHT STUFF ON EARLIER, SO WE'RE REAPING THE REWARDS NOW."
CONDITIONS ARE NOW SO GOOD, SOME CROPS ARE EVEN A WEEK - OR MORE - AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
BLACK: "WE'RE PICKING TOMATOES RIGHT NOW, AND COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, WE PROBABLY DIDN'T HAVE TOMATOES 'TIL THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST. SWEET CORN'S ON PROBABLY A WEEK, TEN DAYS EARLIER THAN LAST YEAR."
KLEINSTEUBER: "ANYTHING PERENNIAL LIKE THE STRAWBERRIES, THE RASPBERRIES, THE APPLES. THEY'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE - BY AT LEAST TWO WEEKS."
SHARON KLEINSTEUBER SELLS PRODUCE OUTSIDE HER FARM IN PICTON, AND IS A REGULAR VENDOR AT BELLEVILLE'S FARMER'S MARKET - WHICH SHE EXPECTS TO HARVEST GOOD RESULTS OF IT'S OWN THIS SUMMER.
KLEINSTEUBER: "WE'RE LOOKING AT A FAIRLY REGULAR YEAR, I THINK THIS YEAR, WITH THE HEAT, I THINK WE DO HAVE MORE TOURISTS, I THINK OUT."
BLACK: "WHEN YOU CAN START SELLING STUFF EARLIER, THEN IT'S DEFINITELY HELPS YOUR BOTTOM LINE."
CULTIVATING A HEALTHY CONTRIBUTION TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
ERIN HOWE, CKWS NEWSWATCH, PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY.
