GASPORT, N.Y. — With parts of Western New York continuing to experience a summer drought, local businesses like Becker Farms in Niagara County are seeing the effects first hand.
Last weekend Becker Farms opened its gates for Western New Yorkers to get their first glimpse of this year’s apple crop, but due to the lack of rain, those apples may look a little different this year.
“The size of the apples may be a little bit less than a year where there's abundant rain,” said Melinda Vizcarra, owner of Becker Farms.
Since June 1, Niagara County has seen just 7.83 inches of rain, half as much as last summer and three inches less than the area’s average.
This is a serious problem for Becker Farms, as its trees get 100% of their water from rain, leaving an impact on the apples themselves.
“You might also see sunscald on a few of the apples,” said Vizcarra. “It doesn't affect a large percentage of it, but you would see it kind of looks like sunburn on the apple.”
But unlike your sunburn at the beach, there can be some positives to this sun exposure.
With the fruit being smaller in size, its sugar concentration will be more condensed, making the apple sweeter and allowing apple pickers to get their fruit sooner.
“We've had a lot more heat,” Vizcarra said. “It’s been hotter, so the apples ripen according to degree days — how many hours they are above 50 degrees — so here on our site, we're a little bit ahead of schedule.”