Arthur's aftermath: farmland damaged by storm's high winds
Owners say post-tropical storm Arthur damaged their crops and interrupted their peak season
Post-tropical storm Arthur is having a significant impact on the province’s farmland and some owners are worried about regrouping before the end of the growing season.
"There was some wind burn on the some of the apple trees and it blew the leaves right off some of the trees," he says.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre estimated Fredericton was hit with wind gusts that peaked at 100 km/h on Saturday.
Lovell says the impact of the damage will be felt for months to come.
"After talking to some of the other apple growers around the province, there could be possible bruising on the apples that won't show up until the fruit is ready to be packed," Lovell says.
"I think we probably lost about 30 per cent of that crop just from the wind knocking the new berries off and any blooms and blossoms that might have been left," says Lovell.
At Sunset U-Pick in Fredericton, David Walker, the business’s owner, says he is also having to rebuild his raspberry trellises.
But he says his real concern is with this season’s strawberries.
"We're down about two-thirds of our regular business," says Walker.
"Our crop looks great, but the customers aren't showing up. If people don't have electricity they don't have a deep freeze, they can't cook their jam, they can't freeze their jam."
Walker says the storm couldn’t have hit at a worse time for his business.
"It'll cost us thousands and thousands of dollars."
He says he’s hoping customers start showing up as their power comes back on.
"We just hope that as people get their power back and get into their normal daily routine that they'll start thinking of strawberries," Walker says.