Corvallis, Mont. — A tough run of weather cut into this year’s honeyberry harvest at Aspen Grove Berries near Corvallis.

Melissa Allred of Aspen Grove Berries said warm winter conditions pushed the plants to wake up early before a hard freeze hit in May. She said dry soil made the situation worse by limiting the water available for fruit production.

“We had crops waking up way too early because of the warm temperatures and so we had things of blossoming and starting to bear fruit long before they were supposed to,” said Melissa Allred.

Allred said a killing frost on May 18 damaged plants that had already bloomed or started producing fruit. She said the plants then used available water to stay alive instead of growing larger berries, which left fruit smaller and yields much lower.

She said other growers across Montana reported similar conditions. For honeyberry growers, she explained, the losses can be harder to manage because the crop is still new in Montana agriculture.

“Honey berries are very new to Montana agriculture, and they're relatively unknown still. And so local insurance companies or lenders are just not familiar with what they are. And so that gives them an insecurity in financing or ensuring the type of crop that we grow,” said Melissa Allred.

To keep the farm going, Allred said Aspen Grove Berries had diversified. The farm grew several kinds of fruit and used part of its harvest to make jams, syrups, barbecue sauces and vinaigrettes.

That gave the farm products to sell even when there was not enough fresh fruit. Readers can learn more about Aspen Grove Berries here.

Allred said shopping at farmers markets, U-pick farms, and farm stands could help local growers through a difficult year. Readers can also find local market information here.