As a recent statewide report showed a decline in the number of apple orchards, local apple farmers are wrapping up what they say has been a good harvesting season.

Despite saturating rains during late spring and early summer, farmers say this year's apple batch has been high-yield and good quality. However, some local farmers are considering scaling back the number of apple trees on their farms as a state-wide survey has shown that Pennsylvania lost 28 percent of its orchards in the past five years.

"We've had a good year. There were some problems because of rain, but overall it was good," said Dan Harner, owner of Harner Farm, 2191 W. Whitehall Road.

Harner said his farm finished picking apples last week, and he will slowly phase out some of his trees because of the high expense of raising and harvesting them.

"A major portion of our expenses are related to apples. They're time-intensive and involve a lot of manual labor," he said.

Harner said he does not plan to eliminate apples totally, only to phase out some of his 32 acres of apple trees and focus more on sweet corn and pumpkin as a cash crop.

"We're trying to find things that retail better at markets; there's a better demand for these types of things," he said.

The study, conducted by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistical Service, revealed that larger operations -- and not the 30-to 100-acre farms in the Centre region -- are producing more apples. Way Fruit Farm, in Port Matilda, reported that this year's apples had very good sizes, said Sharon Way, co-owner of the farm.

Way said that the high quality of the fruit is due to the same rain that can also cause some problems for apples.

"Quirks in the weather affect apples in different ways," she said.

The retail store at the farm also had exceptional business this apple season.

"Many people came out to the store looking for seasonal fruits," she added.

Moser's Garden Produce, in Centre Hall, saw more of a yield than last year, said Barrie Moser, owner of the farm.

He said that last year, because of a drought, he harvested nine bushels, compared to about 15 this year. The same fungus that afflicted other local farmers also made Moser's apples unmarketable, he said.

Moser said he sells a lot of apples and apple cider at the Friday farmer's market on Locust Lane.

Andrea Sander (senior-business logistics) said she bought apple cider from the farmer's market and enjoyed it.

"I love apples. They have to be the crisp kind," Sander said with a smile.

She said she has been happy with the apples she bought this season in town and plans to make several apple desserts.

"Apple crisp is my favorite," she said.

Sara Eckert, a farmer at Tait Farm in Boalsburg, said this was the farm's first year to sell and harvest apples and sales did well. The farm decided to start raising apples despite the trend in the survey that suggested otherwise.

Eckert said since her farm harvests early-variety apples, its picking season ended in September, but people buy cider until it runs out.

Some students have not noted anything special about this year's apple selections.

"This year doesn't seem any different than in years past," Kevin Stinger (senior-telecommunications) said.

Likewise, Eric Kunkel, an Applied Research Lab assistant, said it's very difficult to taste any difference from year to year in apples.

"There wasn't anything spectacular about this year," Kunkel said.