Dry spell could affect area crops

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July 9, 2012

Dry spell could affect area crops

By Mark Boshnack Staff Writer The Daily Star Mon Jul 09, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

FRANKLIN -- A little rain would be much appreciated this summer growing season, several area vegetable farmers said Sunday.

They discussed the situation at their booths at the Franklin Farmers' Market. Patrick Hennebery, a partner at Stony Creek Farm in Walton, focuses on a acre of vegetables on a diversified farm. Crops there include cabbage, carrots, beets, radishes and lettuce.

"It's been very dry. Luckily we have been irrigating," which has kept things growing well, he said. "It has been so warm we were able to start planting earlier than usual, which has helped. I'm pleased with how the season has been going."

It has been a couple of weeks since the last precipitation, so "any rain would be nice," he said. The farm gets water from a ground-fed spring, which hasn't been affected by the weather. However, the creek is running low so "we are a little worried," he said.

It has been a dry spring, made worse by little snowfall last winter, National Weather Service in Binghamton meteorologist Theodore Champney said. For the last 60 days, precipitation was about 2 to 4 inches below the normal average of slightly more than 4 inches a month. There has been little rain in the past month, and with temperatures above average it evaporates fast, he said.

Sue Powell, co-owner of Naturally Speaking in Otego, said she is growing a variety of organic produce on three acres. This includes beans, carrots, onions, lettuce and garlic. "It's been very dry," she said.

Working with her husband, Fred, "We water about four hours every day, and everything has grown well." Warm weather in March has resulted in garlic that was planted in October being ready a few weeks earlier than usual, she said, while other crops have come up on time.

"It would be perfect if it rained a few hours" at night for a while, she said. "It has been too hot and too dry" for crops like lettuce that tend to flower prematurely in this kind of weather. But more frequent harvesting has been helpful.

Margaret Brazura, owner of Twoton Farm in Walton, said she plants a variety of vegetables on the 3½-acre operation, including salad greens, basil and beets.

"They don't seem to be any earlier than usual," she said.

"We are fortunate" there is a spring above the crops to help with watering. "Without it we'd be in trouble because it's been so dry."

To conserve moisture and feed the soil, she plants of clover around tomatoes and pepper beds and mulches heavily with hay.

Bruce Zimmer, owner of Cordwood Acres in Butternuts, said he grows an assortment of vegetables on an acre of the 8-acre farms.

It's also used for raising an assortment of animals. The produce includes lettuce, tomatoes beets and beans.

"All in all, it's been OK so far," but relying on mother nature for watering, "if we don't get rain soon we are going to be in trouble," he said.

He does not have the capacity for irrigation. Because of the weather, the production is late and he hasn't been able to start planting fall crops because. However, "if we get some rain, I think it will help a lot."

The forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of showers tonight and a 30 percent chance Tuesday.