A heat wave followed by late-season sub-freezing temperatures has taken out most of Linvilla Orchards’ peaches and apples, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Media-area farm said it suffered “tremendous damage.”
Linvilla Orchards farm manager Norm Schultz said he’s never seen anything like it.
“We had never been so far along on the bloom because of the 90-degree weather,” he said. “Then it got colder than anyone expected.”
On April 21, one Linvilla thermometer measured 17 degrees.
A tour of the fruit trees afterward showed brown and black peaches and apples falling off trees at the slightest touch.
Schultz estimates Linvilla has lost about 60 to 90 percent of the apple crop and 90 percent of its peach crop.
Half of Linvilla’s early-season strawberries were also wiped out.
“For a farm deeply rooted in pick-your-own traditions and seasonal harvests, the impact is both emotional and economic,” representatives from Linvilla said in a news release.
The farm will have garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant this summer, and Schultz is optimistic about the raspberry and blackberry crops, as well as late-season strawberries.
Linvilla is expanding sunflower and wildflower production to make up for the fruit losses.
Read more about how the crop loss affects Linvilla Orchards in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Linvilla dealt with cold temperatures a year ago and worked to protect its peach trees.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on DELCO Today in May 2026.
