Apple pickers getting off to an early start

PEABODY – The fall foliage may not be in full bloom quite yet, but the warm spring and summer weather has led to an early harvest for most apple picking farms in the area. Because of this year’s warmer climate, all crops were harvested slightly earlier. Luckily for many local farmers this did not present a large problem.Brooksby Farm in Peabody is offering its “pick your own apple” event a week earlier than past seasons, which began Thursday. Despite the dry climate, farm manager Patrick Kriksceonaitis has been pleased with the ripeness and availability of his crops.”All crops were a bit early this year but we made it through. The dry weather just means that you have to farm a little differently and a little sooner. We did more irrigation, pruning and used a gentler fertilizer,” he said. “One thing about crops is when they’re ready to be picked, you have to pick them.”Although the early apple blossom was unexpected, in many ways it has been beneficial to local farms.”We picked the summer crops early this year in mid-August and got them ready for sale; Gingergolds, Summer Granny’s, Jersey Macs. They have great color and size. The fall apple crop; McIntosh’s, Cortland’s, Galas, are all ready for picking.”Since there’s no stopping Mother Nature, Kriksceonaitis explains that it’s the “little things” that need adjusting in order to have a successful crop; something many farmers aren’t unfamiliar with.”Apples, like people, get stressed out with changes in weather. We had to spin the apples a little more than usual so that tree branches weren’t as heavy with weight,” he said.In this case, it’s these “little changes” that made a large difference.Brooksby Farm welcomes families to stop by the farm and enjoy the early apple-picking season, which will continue through Columbus Day. Guests also have the option of visiting the pumpkin patch where pumpkin picking will take place through Halloween. Brooskby Farm is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.