Allen's Orchard of Marion Takes 'Fight Club' Approach to Drought 2013

A late frost coupled with the drought cost Allen's Orchard 50 percent of its crop in 2012, but Marion's orchard faired better than many other around the Midwest.

In Iowa, apple production fell 94 percent in 2012 compared to 2011 and Wisconsin saw a 54 percent decline, the Sioux City Journal reports citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And, many orchard owners feel the persisting drought conditions will make for another hard year.

"The drought is like Fight Club for orchards, we don't like to talk about it here," said Chris Gensicke, owner of Allen's Orchard, 5801 N. 10th St.

The entire state of Iowa, and much of the Midwest remains in a drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Gensicke said they took precautions at Allen's, such as controlled burns and irrigation to help offset the freeze and the drought, and they will look to do the same heading into the season this year.

"In terms of the lack of water, we can only take it as the weather provides it and combat it with whatever we have around," he said.

But, another drought could do in some orchards.

You could see many of these orchards going out of business,” Iowa State University horticulture professor Paul Domoto told Journal.