The wintery chill is definitely being monitored closely. As farmers, our very livelihood is weather-dependent and there are risks in every season – spring frosts, summer and fall hail, and cold winter temperatures.
 
We farm in the most northern fruit growing area in North America. This is made possible by the lakes we’re surrounded by which are not only incredibly beautiful, but also moderate how extreme the temperatures could be. The warm air off the lakes create ‘valley cloud’ which also help to moderate the temperatures. So they may not look as nice, but those cloudy days do serve a purpose!
 
Grandpa Bob recalls in 1950 and 1968 temperatures in the -30°s (Celsius) hit Vernon and wiped out many acres of our fruit trees. Thankfully we aren’t close to those extremes yet, but Peaches and Nectarines are at risk of blossom damage at -23° and tree damage at -25° which is in the realm of possibility at the moment. Strawberries are also at risk, but along with tree fruits they are helped by snow cover which is literally like a blanket insulating the root systems from the cold air. Another reason to appreciate snow. Apple trees are the most resilient to the winter cold snaps, especially certain varieties like McIntosh and Honeycrisp (phew!).
 
For more than 30 years Grandpa Bob has been contributing data to Environment Canada and has received a number of awards for his service. He checks the measuring devices in the Stevenson Screen (pictured) every morning at 8:00am to record the high and the low temperature for that day and any rainfall. He also measures an approximation of the snow levels. In the fall last year, he says we had a very mild season but with much more rain than normal. This may save us from potential damage to trees which could be at risk with how quickly it turned cold in December. Grandpa says moisture in the ground is always good because it deters the frost and cold from getting to the root systems.  The bottom line is, the weather will do what it will do, all we can do is watch and pray.
 
Because of the cold, our pruning team has been put on hold temporarily. Tom Davison advises that you want to avoid pruning at -10° or below because you risk tissue damage to the trees and so it’s best to delay until warmer days. For more tips on pruning, watch for the February newsletter.
 
For now, we wish you all the best in 2017 and we’re looking forward to seeing you all soon!
 
- The Davison Family