Apple-picking season is coming to an end, and Howard County pick-your-own mainstay Larriland Farm in Woodbine closes for the year Sunday.
Farm President Lynn Moore spoke with The Examiner about the interest in locally grown produce and the benefits of having an irrigation system.
Have you seen an increase in the number of people picking their own apples, as more people want to support local produce?
Yes, our sales generally tend to increase, and I?d say it?s due to that awareness and to the general population increase in the area. …
We are having a good season. Two things come into play: decent weather, which means customers are inclined to come, and then it?s up to us to have a good harvest. …
Since we have irrigation, we … keep our crops in good shape. The drought this year was good for sales, because there are no rainy days to keep people away.
Is an irrigation system unusual?
Having the capability for total irrigation of the whole operation is probably not the norm.
Some farms have irrigation, and some don?t.
It depends on the value of the crops, because the systems are expensive.
So the drought hasn?t affected the crops?
It certainly has impacts, but we have been able to lessen the impacts and mitigate them. …
In a drought year, you get a better flavor, because you don?t have the rainfall to dilute the flavor.
There is an effect on us, because it?s more work. But it?s still beneficial.
What do you have planned for the winter?
We have quite [a lot of] crop production to do, and we usually get done by Christmas.
And then January and February is the paperwork aspect of the operation.
There?s a lot of ordering and updating information … repair work and systems overhaul and the things you can?t get done when you?re open.
