New Jersey farmers use precautionary techniques to protect crops from the heavy rainfall.
By Jessica Oates
Aside from putting a damper on summer fun, the heavy and frequent rainfall this summer had big implications for local farm owners.
Matt Conver, the managing farmer at Cherry Grove Organic in Lawrence, said a big part of farming is rolling with the punches that the weather throws — but some years are more difficult than others.
“It has definitely been a rough year for us,” he said.
Last June, the state was hit with the most rainfall since June 1985, measuring a statewide average of 9.57 inches, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist.
For Conver, the wet summer posed a challenge for him to manage the organic fruits and veggies at the farm. He explained that because the farm is organic, disease becomes a big issue.
“On a wet year, disease is our biggest problem,” he said. “Tomatoes are the biggest crop we grow. For us, if it’s a good tomato year, it’s a good year.”
This year, though, Conver says that some of the tomato crop was affected by “late blight,” the same disease that caused the potato famine in Ireland so long ago.
“It favors cool weather, which we experienced because of all the rain,” he said. “Many farms in the state are struggling with the same disease, but we were the first to get it, and we want to find out why.”
Terhune Orchards co-owner Pam Mount agreed that weather is always an unavoidable aspect in the farming business.
“Farmers are always dealing with changing weather,” she said.
Since Mount and her husband Gary bought the Lawrence farm and retail store in 1975 and expanded beyond the original apple and peach orchards there, the couple has been developing their own system of keeping their crops safe from unpredictable weather.
“We are always trying to think ahead to protect the fruit and vegetables from whatever weather comes our way,” Mount said. “We grow 40 different kinds of crops, so we try to make sure we do everything possible to prepare for changes in weather.”
To ensure that their trees yield the best possible cherries, tunnel structures protect the fruit from getting too wet as it ripens.
“If the cherries get too wet as they ripen, they split open,” Mount explained.
Another strategy the Mounts use is raising the beds for organic vegetables with rows in between. Raising the beds between plant rows allows excess water to run down into gullies to prevent over-watering.
Brian Barber of Cherry Grove Farm (not related to Cherry Grove Organic) located in Lawrenceville said that when extreme weather hits, farmers must do their best to “batten down the hatches,” as he had to this past June.
“For most of the farmers in the area, I know it was a real challenge, especially in hay making,” he said.
Cherry Grove specializes in selling its grass-fed meats and hand-made cheeses rather than growing fresh produce. However, hay is one of the most important crops harvested there, which is important for feeding livestock in the winter months.
“We focus on rotational grazing for our cattle; they graze on pastures most of the year, but we spend spring and summer growing hay to prepare winter feed for the animals. It is something we work on year round,” Barber explained.
With more rain and less sunshine, the hay harvest suffers.
“On the bright side, lots of rain makes for a good growing season, so there will be lots of hay to harvest even though planting was delayed,” Barber said. “The rain affects timeliness more than anything else.”
Timing was an issue Conver was also dealing with at Cherry Grove Organic, as his planting and weeding was delayed this year.
“You get behind time-wise when the fields are muddy,” he says. “You have to plan, pick, and choose what to do and what you just have to let go. You can work hard all year long and the weather can just take it away.”
Barber, who’s been in the farming industry his entire life, noted that another issue posed by the heavy rainfall at Cherry Grove Farm is a significantly higher insect population.
“We have to take extra precautions for the cows against biting flies. We use a lot of natural remedies as well as insect repellents. Predatory wasps also help us out because they feed on the insects that bother the cows,” Barber explained.
Though farming in inclement weather may have its challenges, Conver, Mount and Barber each focus on the positive aspects of their successful farms.
“In 13 years, we have seen it all,” Conver said. “We have probably seen more wet seasons than dry. Last year was a good year, and that takes some of the sting out of this year. We will still have a delicious organic tomato crop this year.”
