Cherry farmers pitted against the elements after back-to-back dry summers

Two hot, dry summers in a row have been hard on the cherry trees at an organic orchard near Lumsden.

"We were hoping on mother nature to do her part and she's been asleep at the wheel the last couple years," said Dean Kreutzer, who owns Over the Hill Orchard and Winery with his wife Sylvia. 

Kreutzer said his family usually gets about 15 pounds of cherries from each tree. This year they gathered about one pound per tree, which made for a quick but frustrating harvest.

Drought-like conditions in 2017 weakened the cherry trees and caused root damage and killed parts of some of the trees, but Kreutzer said moisture in the ground helped them remain alive.

• 2017 driest year on record for some Sask. communities
• Record dry 11 months in Regina, Swift Current
• Regina experiences driest July in 130 years

Kreutzer said he is worried of what will happen next. He said there's no moisture left and likened the soil on his land to concrete.

"There's no reserves in the ground, so if we don't get any rain this fall and we get another harsh winter without snow I could be looking at a dead orchard," he said.

"When you put your heart and soul into something and see it degrade in front of your eyes and there's not much you can do about it, you kind of feel helpless."

Kreutzer began growing the sour cherries, which were developed at the University of Saskatchewan, 19 years ago. He then branched out by growing other fruits.

His family has diversified the operation in the last five years by opening a winery and offering dinners at the orchard. It's that, and partnerships with other growers, that will keep them afloat if the orchard doesn't hold up against the elements. 

He said they built a dugout years ago, but irrigation is an unlikely option after a string of dry years. All of their buildings have water catchers, but it's not enough. 

Kreutzer said all he can do is cross his fingers and hope the drought conditions improve. The conditions of late have been heartbreaking, but he said it's worth it when it works.

About 1.8mm of rain was measured in Regina in July 2017 compared to the 30-year-average of 66.9mm. There was 11.1 mm of precipitation measured in August 2017 compared to the 44.8 mm average.

In July 2018, 19.5mm was measured in Regina and about 17.4 mm of precipitation was measured in Regina in August 2018, to date.

Kreutzer said fruit growers face different challenges than the farmers who grow crops like lentils or wheat.

"The farmers always have to start over next spring. They always have to reseed," he said. "If I lose a 19-year-old tree, I can't just replace that the next year with a 19-year-old tree."

However, Saskatchewan farmers are also feeling the heat.

The latest Saskatchewan crop report indicates that many southern and central areas have not received significant rainfall in close to two months and crops continue to rapidly dry down.

Statistics Canada released data that suggests low precipitation is expected to generate lower crop yields across the country.

Total wheat production in the province is expected to fall from 12.9 million tonnes in 2017 to 12.8 million tonnes in 2018. Canola production is expected to fall 9.7 per cent from 2017.