Farmers harness wind to save apples

Could the state’s valuable apple crops be saved from the region’s unpredictable weather by… wind machines? According to an article in the Albany Times-Union, enormous propane-powered fans outfitted with 12-foot blades are being installed on orchards across the state. They pull rising warm air in and push it down to the ground, forcing the temperature around the trees to rises enough to keep the delicate cell walls of the blossoms from bursting. It cites research from horticulture professor Terence Robinson, “The most viable means of frost protection seems to be these wind machines,” said Robinson. “A lot of growers have taken up our advice and run with it.”