Over the past few years, farmers in the Northeast have experienced both ends of the rain spectrum: too much and too little. Much of the time, farmers don’t find out about these extreme weather conditions until right before they occur, when it’s already too late. What can you do so your crops don’t get ruined by drought or water run-off? The key is to be proactive, not reactive.
Some staff members from UNH Cooperative Extension hosted a tour and educational session at Barker’s Farm in Stratham, NH, where they walked attendees through preparations that the farm made for future flooding events.
Barker’s Farm is a produce farm that has been in the family for over 100 years. They grow approximately 35 acres of vegetables, with corn being their most abundant crop. Edie Barker currently runs the farm with the rest of her staff, and she helped guide the tour through her production. Barker noted that the family has been “trying to evolve in practices and challenges, and one of the biggest challenges is climate change.”
Specifically, the farm was struggling with rain run-off and needed better field roads to reduce soil erosion.
About two years ago, Barker partnered with the NRCS to build a more efficient field road. Before this project, Barker said that the road commonly looked like the Grand Canyon, with all of the water pooling into it.
Forrest Hayden, a soil conservationist with the NRCS, mentioned that before the road was rebuilt, “it was originally just the native topsoil. A lot of it had been eroded.”
The NRCS removed the topsoil and added a geotextile material to the road to allow for more stability and to prevent the gravel from sinking into the soil over time. They also added grass waterways to the sides of the road where water can channel instead of running down the road. Along the waterway, they installed some water bars to catch any eroded soil, and to slow down the flow of water as it reaches the pond on the property.
Hayden explained that the NRCS’s big goal with the road design was to “take the road away from being a water channel and make it into really just a travelway.”
Olivia Saunders, field specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension (left), and Edie Barker, owner of Barker’s Farm. Photo by Kelsi Devolve
Barker said with the new road, “it’s just amazing to watch [the road and fields] in a downpour.” Due to the road design, “the water goes into the pond where it should, and the soil stays in the fields where it should.”
The work done on Barker’s Farm is only one example of how land management can make a huge difference during weather events.
Looking forward, Mary Stampone, the state climatologist in New Hampshire, gave an idea of what to expect for the weather this season. “We’re seeing more heavy rainfall events and fewer light rain events,” she said. With heavy rainfall, “the ground obviously doesn’t have enough time to soak all that water in when it comes in at once as opposed to being spread out over a couple of days.”
Not only is heavy rainfall a problem, but having long dry periods between heavy rain events can lead to less water absorption and more run-off.
Olivia Saunders, a field specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, added that we are experiencing higher nighttime temperatures which can “really stress plants because [nighttime is] when they’re converting their sugars” and using a lot of energy. When the temperature is over 75º at night, you may see misshapen or aborted fruit.
Although the tour focused mainly on how to adjust your land to prepare for water run-off, the presenters also touched upon drought. Stampone explained, “The way drought tends to happen is what we loosely term ‘flash drought’ – a rapid onset drought that occurs in response to high temperatures and excessive evapotranspiration.” The Northeast has experienced multiple flash droughts within the past few years.
It’s important to remember the effects that heat has on people as well as plants. Saunders gave advice on how to prevent heat stress in your workers, and a big part of that is education. Whether you are a manager, owner or worker, it’s important to familiarize yourself with signs of heat stress and heat rash.
Saunders mentioned if you are working outside in severe heat, you can do 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off to cool your internal body temperature. Drink plenty of water, take time in the air conditioning/shade and be aware of what tasks you choose to complete on hot days.
For more information on Barker’s Farm, visit barkersfarm.com, and visit nrcs.usda.gov to contact your NRCS office for assistance.
by Kelsi Devolve
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