Farmers this year first had to deal with a crop-killing late season frost and now are growing through hot and dry drought conditions. But if you like your fresh fruit sweet, you're in luck. 

Kyle Applegate is a fifth-generation farmer at Battleview Orchards in Freehold.  

“Hot, dry weather brings on very good flavor of fruits, so it's catch-22,” says Applegate. “Your flavor will be very nice because your sugar levels are higher.”

As your neighborhood lawn turns brown and goes dormant, fruit, like apples, can withstand the heat and dry conditions. Applegate says these farms and others would still welcome a solid rainfall before harvest. 

“We really could use this shower coming in. It gets very critical when you have a certain interval that you haven't seen any rain. Fruits, vegetables, field crops, they will start going in a certain direction if they don't get those interval showers,” says Applegate.

Drought hasn't delayed the apple harvest, which is still on schedule for the end of the month. Applegate also says peaches, like apples, are extra sweet this year because of the weather.