News

Minnesota's apple crop is looking good

Photo: Jupiterimages, Photos.com

Aug 18, 2011 at 9:40 am

WINONA, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota's apple crop is looking good.

Mike Dekarski, president of the Minnesota Apple Growers Association, tells the Winona Daily News (http://bit.ly/qJQaaz) the state's apple harvest is expected to be 10 percent bigger than last year's, partly because it's faced less severe weather.

The Department of Agriculture says a cool spring meant a slow start for some orchards, but trees benefited from plenty of rain and sun.

At Southwind Orchards near the southeastern Minnesota town of Dakota, co-manager Lanakay Curtis expects crops around average. He says the Honeycrisp trees may produce a little more and the McIntosh a bit less because of some heavy rain spurts.

Ralph Yates, manager and co-owner of Fruit Acres near La Crescent, says there's potential for a good year if there's no bad weather before harvest.