Sep 21, 2026 · 10 min · 8 segments
Hudson Valley apple growers encountered a late April frost, skyrocketing diesel prices, and a federal crackdown on foreign labor in 2026. The challenges create uncertain economic conditions for many…
Sam DingmanHost
Mariam Ahmed
The equipment farmers use runs on diesel, which is at an all-time high due to geopolitical conflicts and trade policies under President Donald Trump.
On top of that, a warm early spring followed by a late frost caused problems for many growers this year.
And from what I recall, a lot of orchards lost a significant amount of crops that normally during that period, they're kind of building up their inventory to be ready for the summer rush.
So in April is kind of the time when the blossoms are blooming, right? It's springtime.
So those blossoms, like if it goes below like 32 degrees, they're dead.
If I slice this down the middle, you can look inside, see? That's dead.
In late July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted New York a disaster declaration that allows farmers in several counties to apply for emergency low-interest loans to make up for lost crops.
In order to guard against unexpected losses from increasingly unpredictable spring weather, apple growers do have a few things they can do instead of waiting for the government to step in.
Well, some farmers can have the option of perhaps buying apples from other farmers as well.
But you're not really likely to make a profit that way because you're going through that process.
I think it's one of the most innovative places where you could see apples being turned into so many things.
The equipment farmers use runs on diesel, which is at an all-time high due to geopolitical conflicts and trade policies under President Donald Trump.
On top of that, a warm early spring followed by a late frost caused problems for many growers this year.
And from what I recall, a lot of orchards lost a significant amount of crops that normally during that period, they're kind of building up their inventory to be ready for the summer rush.
So in April is kind of the time when the blossoms are blooming, right? It's springtime.
So those blossoms, like if it goes below like 32 degrees, they're dead.
If I slice this down the middle, you can look inside, see? That's dead.
In late July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted New York a disaster declaration that allows farmers in several counties to apply for emergency low-interest loans to make up for lost crops.
In order to guard against unexpected losses from increasingly unpredictable spring weather, apple growers do have a few things they can do instead of waiting for the government to step in.
Well, some farmers can have the option of perhaps buying apples from other farmers as well.
But you're not really likely to make a profit that way because you're going through that process.
I think it's one of the most innovative places where you could see apples being turned into so many things.
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