A year ago, southern Illinois fruit and vegetables were struggling through a record drought. This year, growers say things couldn’t be more different, with cooler temperatures and much higher rain totals. Wayne Sirles is Vice President of Rendleman Farms in Union County. He says last year, peaches were ready much earlier than normal, and this year people will have to wait just a bit longer.
“We’re about a week to ten days later this year as I would compare to normal average, and last year we were about two and a half weeks early.”
Peaches are slowly starting to come in and should be ready for wholesale shipping in another week or so. Apples may be a few days later than average, but should be ready in mid-to-late August. Sirles says even though rainfall totals are much higher now than they were a year ago, he thinks the effects of last year’s drought are still being felt as soil moisture is still trying to catch up.