Freeze Kills Beloved Fruits

by Robin Hoy, Bucks County Foodshed Alliance Co-Founder

Donate here to help our local orchard farmers recover www.givebutter.com/BCFA-fruit-farmers 

The April 2026 spell of exceptionally hot weather forced cherries, peaches, pears, apples, nectarines, pawpaws, and apricots to blossom and set fruit early this year. The hot sunny days were followed by a 23 degree freeze in Bucks that killed as much as  95% to 98% of the tree fruits across Bucks. The deep freeze reached the rest of PA as well as all of NJ and up into NY and New England, destroying the region’s 2026 tree fruit crop  in one fell swoop.

Farmers are a resilient and philosophical lot though, normally dealing with the weather as it comes and making adjustments to their farming practices as best they can. They must plan months ahead for what they will grow. Tree fruit growers plan years ahead. Because fruit trees form fruit buds in the fall for the next year, when that crop is damaged in a spring freeze, the next crop won’t be ready for more than a year. Patience and resilience are required farmer traits!

Labor is also critical for pruning, thinning, watering, harvesting, sorting, and processing the fruit. Most of our tree fruit growers employ seasonal workers who are contracted to come work for the season, legally bound to be paid for farm work for at least 30 hours per week all season. This year tree fruit growers now have little work for them for the season, yet must keep everyone busy and paid. Many of the workers have been coming to work at the same orchards for many years and are like family to the farmers, adding another tough dimension to the crop loss. 

But possibly most heartbreaking for all of us is how to keep up the delightful tradition of going to the orchards for fun pick-your-own adventures during a year with hardly any fruit to pick! This year’s freeze will be yet another test that our farmers must triumph over, and surely they will with the patience, help and loyalty of our community. We’ll get through this together and be ready for next year’s juicy, luscious, delicious locally grown fruit to slurp down! 

Their farm stores are still open with value added products and fruits not impacted by the freeze. Visit them! 

Many have been asking how else we can support our favorite tree fruit growers through this time. If you’d like to do more, the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance has set up a fund to help! These farmers care for the community donating tons of their delicious, healthy fruit to our community members in need.  Now is an opportunity for our community to give back to them.

You are invited to make a contribution here that we will make available to distressed growers. 

Thanks for your caring, understanding and loyalty to our local farmers. This is what a foodshed alliance is all about!