What's being harvested now?

With Fresno County‘s diverse agriculture, some type of crop is harvested every month.

March 20 is the first day of spring and Fresno County is showing signs of a new beginning for many of the county’s diversified crops.

The leaf lettuce harvest is underway in Fresno County with varieties of red and green leaf, romaine and butter lettuce, making their way to consumers throughout the U.S. The iceberg lettuce harvest will begin on the west side in the Huron area around the week of March 24 and will continue into April. For a six-week period during the spring, about 95 percent of the Nation’s supply of head lettuce comes from western Fresno County.

Also along the west side, tomato seedlings have been transplanted, emerging garlic will receive its first irrigation, and the wheat crop is progressing nicely. Broccoli harvest is on-going and asparagus harvest has begun.

Along the county’s east side, the deciduous tree fruit bloom is almost complete. Varieties of peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, pluots and cherries are nearing the end of bloom, beginning to “leaf-out.” Likewise, the almond bloom on both the east and west sides of the county is complete and trees have “leafed-out.”

The weather during bloom was excellent, with little rain which can cause blossom rot and fungus to grow in the flowers unless treated with a fungicide bloom spray. For most of the tree fruits now, the small fruit is still inside the “jackets,” the part of the blossom that helps to protect the tender fruit. As the individual fruit begins to grow, the jacket falls off. Depending on the weather during this time, the tender, growing fruit can be susceptible to damage from unwanted hailstorms.

Grapes, the county’s number one crop, are beginning to awaken from a long winter’s nap. Tender young leaves and the first signs of tiny bunches of grapes are beginning to emerge as the vines break dormancy. This is a very vulnerable time for grape growers, hoping to escape damage from late-frosts or possible hailstorms. On the weekend of March 15, many grape growers were running groundwater, hoping to warm the temperatures to prevent damage from the forecasted freezing temperatures.

Also susceptible to unseasonable weather during this time of year are young strawberries, which are blooming and forming berries.

Livestock producers are encouraged by the improved range conditions from recent rain in the foothills and the unseasonably warm weather. 

For additional details about the current harvest and cultural activities for Fresno County’s diversified crops, visit the Department of Agriculture’s Web site here.

Archive: Winter 08, November 07