Unusual spring weather still affecting area farmers

Unusual spring weather still affecting area farmers Posted at: 05/18/2012 5:19 PM | Updated at: 05/18/2012 5:45 PM By: Joangel Concepcion | WHEC.com Now that summertime is right around the corner, farmers everywhere are assessing the damage from months of wacky weather. Mark Russell of Whittier Farms says it's been a challenging year, to say the least. He says it's the worst year he's ever seen. "It's still surprising to see the amount of damage that there was," Whittier says. Stone fruit seems to be the variety taking the biggest hit. Some growers in the area say most of their cherries, peaches and apples are destroyed. Russell says there is still hope. Still, the industry took a big hit, and it wasn't just stone fruit growers. Wine makers at Casa Large Vineyard have also been keeping an eye on their precious crop. "We had an interesting spring out here. We had the nice warm weather in March which started the growing season really early. We had some bud break out but then it got cold again," says vineyard manager Mark Patterson. This year will also go down as one of the worst for Casa Larga, but they say somehow, they've managed to pull through. "The wine makers they've been out checking. I know they are looking at different varieties," says Casa Larga Director of Operations Andrea Colaruotolo O'Neill. The mild winter is something crop growers in the area have never experienced before, and as they prepare for possibly more ups and downs from Mother Nature, some say they realize it could have been much worse. The New York Farm Bureau says this area will more than likely be declared a disaster area, but they also told us it is way too soon to determine the exact amount of damage for the entire region. They say they should know within the next few months.