Pulling me out of a deep sleep is the chunky roar of the orchard fans. For the last three nights, we have had below freezing temperatures causing alarms to ring in the valley. Jumping into action, the orchard owner or their field men light smudge pots and turn on the fans to raise the orchard temperatures by a few degrees. Protecting the unfurling buds is one step to ensure we will have pears, apples and cherries this season. If they sleep through these alarms they run the risk of losing their whole crop. Do they sleep at all when freezing temperatures are predicted or are they on edge all night anyway? Thankful for the warmer temperatures predicted, I am looking forward to a full night's sleep tonight.
3 comments:
I have to say.. ysterday morning... driving to school... my best friend thought of me as she was in awe of the sight of the smudge pots blazing in ALL the orchards. surely worthy of a picture... or lots!
alas, she opted not to wake me from my slumber at O'dark 30!
Do many of the orchards have the big fans instead of smudge pots? Here in the Rogue Valley, most of the smudge pots are being taken out and replaced with fans. But maybe they don't work in the harsher climate you have there in H.R.
It seems that most of the orchards in this area have both fans and smudge pots.
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