Vancouver Island cidery appeals for apples after poor growing season

A cideryon Vancouver Island is making a public appeal for apples after cold spring weather prevented some trees from producing a single piece of fruit.

Kristen Needham, owner and cider master at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse,saidthis year's apple crop is only half of what it normally is, meaning a 50 per cent reduction in cider production.

"It's abig shout out to growers in the greater Victoria region to contact us even if they just have one apple tree," she said from her Saanichton office.

"We're buying apples and we're bartering for cider. Whether you have 20 poundsor 2,000 pounds, we're interested in hearing from you."

Needham said all commercial apple growers in the region are seeing drastic reductions in their crops, which is making it difficultand expensiveto source extra apples.

Too cold for bees

The problem started with a unusually cold and wet spring, which greatly reduced bee activity and pollination.

"The flowers on the trees bloomed a little later than normal ... and when they finally did, our pollinators especially the honey bees weren't flying because it was so cold and wet," she said.

Of the 60 varieties of apples grown at the farm, early bloomers like Cox's Orange Pippin, Gravenstein and Golden Russet were the hardest hit.

If she can't source more apples,Needhamfears production of her farm's most popular cider will be cut from 30,000 bottles to 15,000.

She saidpeople with picked, unsprayed apples who want to get involved in the offer should call Sea Ciderbefore bringing them to the farm.