Vineyards suffer as late frost destroyed crops in Western New York

An extreme frost on an early morning in April has left grape farms across Chautauqua County struggling to make ends meet.

Early bud breaks combined with below-freezing temperatures on April 25th have impacted countless vineyards in the grape-growing region.

Carl Vilardo III, fourth-generation owner of Vilardo Vineyards, said his 165-acre property is feeling the weight.

"We've lost probably 85 to 90 percent of the primary crop," Vilardo said. "We can survive through it because of the age of how long we've been in business, but it hurts a lot. Taking money out of your personal savings account...that hurts."

Dr. Terry Bates, director of Cornell Lake Erie Research Extension Laboratory, said this freeze was the perfect storm.

"We're talking about a game of inches," Dr. Bates said. "A half a degree warmer, we wouldn't have have any problem. A half a degree colder and the frost would have been a lot worse."

He said although trends are showing buds breaking earlier in the year, this April morning was unpredictable.

"Was there cloud cover? Was there a breeze off of Lake Erie," Dr. Bates said. "These little things in a very short three-hour window on the morning of April 25th, how can you know when that stuff is going to happen?"

Both Dr. Bates and Vilardo said this is going to have a lasting economic impact on farmers in the area.

"Instead of a seven to a 10-ton crop, we're probably looking at a two-ton crop or less," Vilardo said. "It changes how we do business for the next couple of years."

Vilardo said all he can do for now is continue taking care of his crops and hope for better luck next year.