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Illinois growers see smaller peach crop

Illinois specialty crop growers were dealt a poor peach crop this season.

Raghela Scavuzzo with the Illinois Specialty Growers Association tells Brownfield a late season freeze killed off many peach blooms.

“Some farms are reporting 50% yields, some are reporting total losses. What we are seeing a lot of is you might not have a variety this week or that week because some varieties did better.”

She says larger peach producing states like South Carolina and Georgia faced the same problem, but while production fell, the peaches that did survive are high quality.

“You will still find them in grocery stores, it’s just the pricing might look a little different and when you’re going to your local farm, you might be able to get them every day.”

Looking at other specialty crops, Scavuzzo says weather has been favorable for a hearty apple season this fall and she expects production to be higher than the past two years.

She says it is too soon to tell how pumpkins will fare, but drought during planting and disease pressure from recent rains could have an impact on overall production.

Brownfield interviewed Scavuzzo at the Illinois State Fair, where local growers are selling their traditional apple cider slushies, sweet corn, popcorn and more at the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent.

Audio: Interview with Raghela Scavuzzo