Fog, fruit and an unclear future

摘要

When Kurt Ashurst planted new pear trees, his Mendocino County, California, neighbors looked at him quizzically. The market for canned Bartletts was in decline, costs were rising and government regulations were getting stricter. "People said I was crazy, and maybe I am,” he recalled.That was 15 years ago.Today, amid many of the same challenges, his pear farm is up for sale. Labor shortages, increasing costs, drought and extreme heat have pushed him to look for other areas to continue farming, but probably not producing pears.Geographic and economic conditions are driving the pear region near Ukiah into decline. Processors are far away. Workers prefer cannabis farms. The once verdant area is suffering cyclical droughts. And to rub salt in the wound, feral pigs sometimes descend from the hills to furrow orchard floorsat night.