Special Report: Uncertain Harvest

Rapidly changing weather conditions have made it challenging for some farmers to produce a satisfying spring harvest. Some have even had to use new techniques for the first time. 

Extreme cold, extreme heat, droughts, and floods are all weather conditions crops this year have had to adjust to in the span of just a few short weeks, in some cases, even days. 

In April alone, we went from 62 degrees with 3/4” of rain to a high temperature of 40 degrees with a trace amount of snow, back up to 70 degrees in the span of just 3 days.

”If it’s a gradual increase, it’s ok, but when you go from 91 days to 70 and all over the board. And rain amounts too, we’ve seen it in rain situations too. It’s been a challenge, said Nathan Howell, co-owner of Need More Acres Farm.

Fortunately, many crops have been able to survive, but it wasn’t an easy task.

”We actually had to cover those up with a protective row cover back early, which is the first time I’ve done in 15 years. I’ve never actually had to do it. We got some cold nights that came in that would potentially kill the plants” said Howell.

Need More Acres Farm says despite the odds, their crops are about average sized, only slightly smaller than usual. Some crops have even come up early, like their tomatoes. However, excessive rainfall and a cold snap during their flowering stage prevented the flower from releasing fully which left some tomatoes with blemishes. Need More Acres also had to harvest their tomatoes at the breaker stage this year, which is when they first start to get coloring, so they ripen inside and aren’t watery like they would be if they ripened on the vine with the rainfall we’ve been having. Overall though, the tomatoes are thriving in this heat, unlike other crops such as lettuce.

So what are the perfect weather conditions to produce the perfect crop? 

”We actually grow on drip irrigation and on plasticulture techniques, so I enjoy a dry season. That way I can control the amount of water that is put on the crop. During a dry season, you’re not gonna get a lot of the blemishes and such you might get from rainfall and so forth. Disease potential is gonna be a lot less on that plant cause you’re not gonna get splash back up off the soil” said Howell.

Many fall crops are being planted this week. Farmers hope this season’s weather will be a little more stable for a great fall harvest.