How do I check how weather affects a u-pick farm’s crop and attendance?

Weather hits a u-pick twice: once in the field and once at the gate. A cool spring can delay the crop and shorten the season, while a rainy weekend can empty the parking lot even when the fruit is ready. Ask the seller to explain the worst season in their records, what caused it and what they changed afterwards.

Look at how the business cushions bad weather. Ask whether there are rain checks or pre-sold tickets, whether there are covered activities or a farm shop that sells when picking is closed, and whether there is frost, hail or irrigation protection. Ask what insurance covers and what it does not, and how quickly the farm has recovered from past losses.

Then look at the money. Compare monthly cash flow across seasons, and see how the owner has paid bills when a season ran short. Ask how much cash the business keeps in reserve and whether the owner has ever put personal money in. A buyer should plan their own cushion for a bad year, since the records will not show a worse one than the last.

Key takeaways

• Line up picking dates, attendance and weather notes for each recent season.
• Ask how the farm protects the crop and keeps income coming when the gate is quiet.
• Plan your own cash cushion for a season worse than any in the records.