A prolonged drought in Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley has stressed apple crops this season, with growers relying on nearly continuous irrigation through part of the summer after record-dry conditions in May and again in August. At Connell's Family Orchard, co-owner Rick Connell reports that drought stress led to smaller Cortland apples and splitting in about a third of the Haralson crop after dry conditions were followed by rainfall.
The split Haralsons are being redirected to cider rather than the fresh market. Heavy soil at the orchard helped retain some moisture, and early-season rainfall provided a buffer — limiting the overall impact on the fresh crop. Connell expects consumer-facing quality to be largely unaffected across most varieties.
The story carries a forward-looking signal worth noting: Connell says the fruit set for next year's crop is already established and currently looks strong. But the broader pattern of drought-driven size variability and splitting adds to the list of weather pressures hitting Midwestern apple supply this season, alongside the well-documented frost and wildfire impacts in the East and Pacific Northwest.