Weather Influences Harvest for Bayfield Apple Festival
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BAYFIELD - Harsh weather conditions this past spring had some folks from Bayfield concerned there wouldn't be enough apples for this year's Apple Fest.
After a cold bitter spring the weather has finally turned for Sunset Valley Orchard to have their apples ready for Apple Fest.
With more than ten varieties of apples spread across more than thirty acres; Sunset Valley's owner Sharon Johnson says the crop is doing great.
"Everybody seems to enjoy it and the ones who come to our orchard come here and the ones, who go to the others, go there. So they all know where they want to be, they enjoy the time to come and pick," said Johnson.
Ideally the apple crop should bloom in the late weeks of May, but for Sunset Valley orchard blooms came in late June this year.
Fortunately with hot and humid conditions during the past few months the crop has been able to catch up; allowing for a normal season.
"People really come for the honey crisp, but another good brand is Cortland's. This apple is good all-purpose apple, very flavorful. Another apple is Spartans; it's a cooking apple with a great spicy taste," said Johnson.
The city of Bayfield also comes together for the festival.
Businesses like the candy shop got their apples from local orchards allowing them to produce the great American apple pie.
The shop has been here for almost three decades and plans to make 500 pies over a four day period for this year's festival.
"The last couple years have been poor. Hopefully we will have a decent Apple Fest this year. With weather like this, it should be great," said Daniel Ellesdad, owner of the Candy Shop.
Apple Fest is held the first full weekend in October, when the apple crop is ready to be harvested and with many different varieties now doing well.
Apple lovers should definitely be happy this fall.