Growers Protecting Valley Fruit From Record Heat

Just like you, fruit hanging on trees in the Yakima Valley suffer from the heat. And with record heat this week many growers are doing what they can to protect crops. Jon Devaney the Executive Director of the Yakima Valley Growers and Shippers Association says pears and apples can suffer sunburn and heat problems just like people. "Orchardists are now taking steps to protect crops from the heat either by physically shading it or cooling it with irrigation water." Devaney says some cherries are still being harvested in the valley and some growers protect the cherries with large shade tarps.
Devaney says the heat can speed up the harvest but that's not a problem and doesn't affect every orchard. He says the biggest concern isn't the fruit but rather protecting workers from heat stroke. He says growers have to follow state rules to give workers scheduled breaks and provide lots of water.