CA: CHERRIES,ORANGES AMONG CROPS DELAYED BY STORMS
<p><b>--SUPERS</b>--</p>\n<p>Tuesday</p>\n<p>Fresno, CA</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Rob Willmott </p>\n<p>Fresno State Orchard And Field Crop Manager </p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>DONUT: VO farm tractor, workers on farm, cloudy skies, sot cherry farmer, vo of hay, cherry's, cutaway reporter and cherry orchard rep, vo of orange flowers on trees, </p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Wire/StoryDescription:</p>\n<p>In a race against time, crews baled and picked up oat hay growing in between young pistachio trees on the Fresno State campus farm.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>The work had to be done before the threatening skies opened up.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>This year's cherry crop is way off schedule.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Orchard and Field Crop Manager Rob Willmott says the rain and cold lengthened the dormancy period of the trees, so they slept longer.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"The cherries are about three weeks to a month behind here," he said. "Normally, we'd have cherries in the farm market right now."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Growers usually worry about rain during harvest time, but these cherries are still developing.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"Thank goodness they're this green, so if any real rain did show up, they won't crack on me," Willmott said. "I'm not too worried about them at this stage."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>At this time of year, you'd also normally notice a lot of fruit on the citrus trees.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>But as you can see, this orchard is still full of white blossoms.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"You would start to see the petals starting falling off, the fruit forming there, and then it starts sizing up but we're not even near there," Willmott said. "Some flowers are still opening."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>In addition to the oranges, the apricots on campus are also delayed.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>No cherries yet, but Willmott says strawberries and asparagus are available at the campus farm market.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Station Notes/Scripts:</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p> Rainy conditions this week have some valley growers concerned.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> Crops need the sun's warmth to develop.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> We take a closer look at what kinds of produce now face delays.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***NATS***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***TRACK***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> In race against time, crews baled and picked up oat hay growing in between young pistachio trees on the Fresno State campus farm.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> The work had to be done before the threatening skies opened up.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***SOT***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"Trying to get as much hay into a bale, as many bales into a stack and our stacks put together just so that it minimizes the rain contact time."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***TRACK***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> This year's cherry crop is way off schedule.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> Orchard and Field Crop Manager Rob Willmott says the rain and cold lengthened the dormancy period of the trees so they slept longer.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***SOT***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[Fresno State Orchard & Field Crop Manager Rob Willmott]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"So the cherries are about three weeks to a month behind here. Normally we'd have cherries in the farm market right now."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***TRACK***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> Growers usually worry about rain during harvest time but these cherries are still developing.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***NATS***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"Thank goodness they're this green so if any real rain did show up, they won't crack on me. I'm not too worried about them at this stage."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***TRACK***]] </p>\n<p></p>\n<p> At this time of year you'd also normally notice a lot of fruit on the citrus trees.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> But as you can see, this orchard is still full of white blossoms.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***SOT***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[Willmott]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>"You would start to see the petals starting falling off, the fruit forming there, and then it starts sizing up but we're not even near there. Some flowers are still opening."</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***TRACK***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p> In addition to the oranges, the apricots on campus are also delayed. </p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p>[[***DALE***]]</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>No cherries yet but Willmott says strawberries and asparagus are available at the campus farm market.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SUPERS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--VIDEO SHOWS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--VO SCRIPT</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--LEAD IN</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SOT</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--TAG</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS</b>--</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>-----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----</b></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--KEYWORD TAGS--</b></p>\n<p></p>