In brief
Farmers across the Northeast are grappling with the aftermath of unexpectedly fluctuating temperatures, which have caused premature blooming in flowers and fruit trees. These climatic swings are forcing some to harvest early and are raising fears of crop losses. Specific cases from Ohio and Vermont highlight the challenges faced, with farmers employing various strategies to shield their crops and adapt to these increasing weather anomalies.
BRIDPORT, Vt. (Neutral Echo) — An abrupt shift from unusually warm to cold weather across the Northeast has left numerous flower and fruit farmers in a bind. Many have been forced to either harvest their blooms earlier than planned or face the threat of losing some of their crops completely.
This time of year, frosty nights are not uncommon. Data from the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University indicates that the average date for the last frost ranges from mid-April to early June. However, the recent warm spell that characterized the first half of April has complicated matters significantly.
In New England, temperatures soared into the 80s Fahrenheit (around 27 Celsius) one week only for the region to experience unseasonal snow days later. The cold weather showed no signs of letting up, as the National Weather Service issued freeze warnings for parts of several states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina this week.
Owner of Apple Hill Orchards in Ohio, Anne Joudrey, noted that the warm weather prompted early budding in peach and apple trees, but a sharp dip into the low 20s Fahrenheit (around -5 Celsius) ultimately decimated some of the peach crop. Farming is farming, and you never know what you're gonna get, but we had a pretty good bloom, so we were expecting a pretty good crop, Joudrey said.
Meanwhile, at Understory Farm in Vermont, owner Gregory Witscher reported that tulips intended for Mother's Day were blooming ahead of schedule, pushing them to harvest all at once and store the flowers with their bulbs in a cooler until they need to be sold.
Witscher, who cultivates around 50 varieties for wholesale, emphasized the growing necessity for flexibility in farming operations due to these extreme weather events. He mentioned the increasing trend of small farms utilizing protective measures such as row covers or heaters to guard against cold spells and shade cloths during heat waves.
With the hot weather and then the cold weather, I think its intense, and it makes things challenging, Witscher stated. The longer I do this, the more I want to have as many options as possible and have a lot of tools and resources available to be extremely nimble.
