ORLEANS COUNTY, NY (WKBW) — Apple farmers across the region say their livelihood is in jeopardy as wholesale apple prices have dropped so low - it is no longer worth the cost of labor.
- Western New York apple farmers face economic uncertainty due to plummeting wholesale prices.
- LynOaken Farms is unsure about its future and won't make decisions until after the apple season.
- Mayer Brothers Apple Products announced 26 layoffs at their bottling facility in Barker.
- Local U-pick farms are relying on community support to survive the season.
- Farmers struggle with rising labor costs, poor weather, and financial losses.
In 2023, the U.S. Apple Association stated that the NYS apple crop yielded only 28 million bushels, 4 million fewer than the year prior.
The effects of this are being seen across our region - just last month LynOaken Farms told 7 News - that they are unsure what their future will hold.
"One of the issues we are facing is the tastes are changing rapidly that a lot of our apples are not returning well and some apples we won't even pick this year," said Wendy Oaks-Wilson General Manager of LynOaken Farms.
Earlier this week, a WARN notice from the State Department of Labor announced 26 layoffs coming to Mayer Brothers Apple Product's bottling facility in Barker.
But for Becker Farms in Gasport, their U-Pick model is allowing them to make money and not lose it.
"We have insulated ourselves from the fluctuating market by having the public come and pay right away in the season, so when apple season is over it's over for us too," said Melinda Vizcarra.
Vizcarra says her family's 130-year-old farm can stay open until November, as long as the community helps by buying her apples.
