Today every time that I look at a beautiful head of green leaf lettuce or a vibrant orange or tomato or a sumptuous piece of beef I think of the farmer or rancher and all of the work that they and their teams had to go through to get the food to the stores or preferably to the farmers market.   I, like so many others have on an occasion or two taken for granted the abundance of food that is available to us in this great country. We have so much and far too often people unknowingly and unintentionally believe that our food comes from the back room of oh, yes... a supermarket.

It is my intention and hope to both share and enlighten others with a glimpse of what our farmers go through and the distance that they travel in heart and mind to bring us the fresh, healthy organic foods that we are so privileged to enjoy. Since we are preparing for the upcoming cherry season I thought that it would be most appropriate to share what occurs during Frost Control and the protective measures that are taken to ensure that the precious buds are shielded from the bittersweet frost. In order to be understand exactly what Frost Control is I thought I would first share with you information provided by *WSU Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"The temperature at which the fruit buds are injured depends primarily on their stage of development. Buds are most hardy during the winter when they are fully dormant. As they begin to swell and expand into blossoms, they become less resistant to freeze injury.

Not all blossom buds are equally tender. Resistance to freeze injury varies within trees as it does among orchards, varieties and crops. Buds whom develop slowly tend to be more resistant. As a result, some buds usually are killed at higher temperatures, while others are resistant at much lower temperatures."

Frost Control season typically starts prior to early spring when fruiting buds began to come out of dormancy and start their journey into the formation of fruit. This period is usually late February and lasts until late April - mid May. When daytime temperatures start reaching 53-59 degrees the buds will start showing the early signs of swelling. It is at this time that the orchardist will do consistent checks on the buds to determine which stage the buds are in. There are nine stages starting from the first swelling and the final stage ending in the post bloom. 

For example on bud stage 1 at a temperature of 23 degrees is allowable however, 17 degrees could result in a 10% bud kill and 5 degrees can result in 90% kill. Bud stage 1 occurs usually around the first part of March in our area. In order to maintain minimum of critical temperature at each stage there are three major options to ensure temperatures stay at or above the critical temperatures.

Now that some scientific information has been provided I would like to share with you what occurs in the Middleton household during Frost Control season.............

It is 2:47 a.m. and the phone starts ringing. No need to ask "who is calling at..." Gary grabs the phone as we are both flying out of bed he stumbles to the door way while listening to the weather stations message informing him of the orchards alarming temperature. We race downstairs where Gary jumps into his neatly laid out Carhartts from the night before along with his boots, scarf and hat almost similar to what a fireman does when the fire station alarm begins to bellow.  I head to the coffee maker, flip the switch and then race outside to start the truck and hit the defrost button on the trucks panel so that the windows will begin their rapid thaw.  It is starting out to what will be another long day for both Gary and I.

As I run back into the house I start pouring what coffee has been brewed into his thermos, throw it into his hand and out the door he goes. I can hear the farm truck racing past the pasture and down the road where soon afterwards the sound of the wind machines can be heard from a distance at our orchards ¼ of mile away from our home place. Soon the sounds of the wind machine become increasingly louder and I know that Gary is back on the home place turning on the remainder of the machines. Time is of the essence! An orchardist can lose an entire crop in minutes if wind machines and water are not turned on. The actual function of the wind machine is to pull warmer air from the loft and push colder air form the orchard floor creating a mixture of warmer air.

Usually within in the first 45 minutes Gary has changed his mode of transportation from "Big Black" to a modest four wheeler which allows him the speed and flexibility to weave in and out of the orchard rows while monitoring the trees and checking the temperatures at the different locations of our orchards. If you were to shut your eyes and think of a 6 foot 3 man dressed up like a big brown marshmallow racing one handed through the orchards while the other hand is outstretched embracing a hand held thermometer that would be my beloved husband, Gary Wayne.

Another critical tool used during Frost Control is our most precious resource, water. By turning on the water systems between 34-35 degrees the trees will begin to form ice at 32 degrees which in turn will create heat and keep the trees warm. It is imperative that the water source is adequate so that it can continue to add ice as temperatures decrease. Our irrigation water for our orchards come through the canals and is sourced by the Columbia River.

The third method used for Frost Control is the use of propane heaters or smudge pots to increase the temperatures in the orchard. Occasionally helicopters are used to push heat from above the orchard canopy back into the trees. Recording thermometers or other means of tracking temperatures in the orchard are used extensively. At all times someone must be in the orchard monitoring control devices and ensuring at least minimum temperatures are maintained according to the bud development stage.

As buds transition into the flowering stage temperatures are extremely critical as 1-2 degrees too low will destroy the entire crop. However, as in 2008 temperatures dropped down to 20 degrees at bud stage 8 (full bloom) and the entire crop was lost even though all frost control devices available were being utilized. These extreme drops of temperatures will almost always destroy the entire crop.

What I have just talked about can only be considered as nothing more than a mere glimpse of what actually occurs for an orchardist during Frost Control. After a long and intense night racing through rows of trees with the slap of ice cold air and water on a farmers tired and worn face they will once more embrace the continuance of a new day filled with spraying as needed, mowing, weed cultivation, monitoring of disease and insects, pruning, paperwork for all of the organic regulations and the monitoring of hired help.

Additionally, there are grower meetings, board meetings, financial meetings and many others to stay educated about our crops and food and safety issues. The days are long, intense and often it appears as though there is neither beginning nor end. It is the dedication, passion and commitment that drive a farmer. It is the desire that comes from within to deliver quality food to our communities and our world.