BC Rainier Cherries from Sproule Farm are in!

The bizarre summer of 2012 continues, with a continuing onslaught of rain and thunderstorms damaging crops across the entire Interior.  Last weekends storms did substantial damage, especially in the Creston region, with growers reporting large losses to cherry crops.  Too much of the early cherry crop has gone to juice.  More storms are predicted for today and Thursday.  All other fruit – apricots, peaches, nectarines and apples have all been impacted by hail over what is now a 3 week period of periodic thunderstorm outbreaks.  With great luck, Sproule’s orchards much farther north in Oyama have been spared, and we have a fabulous supply of Rainier cherries that just arrived.The gloomy, rainy days in the Fraser Valley have also held back green crops, zucchini, cukes – even hothouse production, forcing us to go further south to try to stay in stock.  For us weather nerds, we find ourselves comparing current weather against “normal.”  We’re quickly realizing that there is no normal anymore, and we’re going to have to roll with the punches as the climate changes quickly.  Our Peruvian avo deal winds down slowly, and our first Mexican Fair Trade fruit won’t be here for 3 weeks, so we’re filling in with California.  Blueberries took a beating this week with 3 days of rain, but the sun is out, with good weather in the forecast for a few days. An expected pick of early Transparent apples has been hailed out.  Good news in potato land as we transition out of California, and northbound to Washington and Pemberton.  Bruce Miller’s White Cascades are out of the ground!  These are beautiful spuds – you’ll also like to know that a good chunk of these stay in Pemberton, where they’re converted to the next best thing – Schramm’s Organic B.C. Vodka.