Raspberry Harvest 2023 Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Washington Red Raspberries are coming off the vine, looking for consumers who love them and, after the past couple of years, that’s a good thing.
Mark Van Mersbegen, owner of Markwell Raspberry Farm and President of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, says the weather has been cooperating …
VAN MERSBEGEN … “The weather’s been actually very good. We had those couple of days that it got into the 80s, but a couple of days in the 80s doesn’t bother us. It’s anything sustained for a period of time that gets to be an issue.”
But, Van Mersbegen says, so far …
VAN MERSBEGEN … “We haven’t had any of that this year. So, it’s been, harvest so far, has gone quite uneventful which is a good thing.”
Van Mersbegen says it’s been just warm enough …
VAN MERSBEGEN … “That too is a welcome deal. You know we’re, obviously, we’re irrigating heavily right now, and need to. The plants are, you know, they’re really working hard filling these berries in and so they’ve got to have the moisture to make that work. But the sun is also much needed.”
As for the harvest …
VAN MERSBEGEN … “We got started on the 5th of July and we’ll probably go until, oh, somewhere around the 10th of August, but that’s a bit late.”
But that is not a bad thing …
VAN MERSBEGEN … “It really has been a great year as far as the harvestability of them compared to the last two, has been almost heaven-sent.”
After two down years, Van Mersbegen says raspberry production is expected to be back to near normal this season.
