Climate and Ag in the news
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The Southeast Farm Press reported this week that a frost which hit the Tobacco Belt in mid-April caused damage to some young tobacco transplants this year. Initial concerns were for a significantly reduced crop, but most fields have recovered with little loss, it appears. The report states that “The damage seemed worse on the light/sandy…
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In preparation for an interview next week, I am reading “The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.” It’s a great book, and I am enjoying it. I was struck this morning by a description of the dust storms of mid-May, 1934 (82 years ago this week),…
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Even though California needs rain to combat the multi-year drought they’ve been experiencing, rain at the wrong time can hurt the production of fruit and other crops. The Packer noted this week that rain in California delayed the harvest of cherries in parts of the state and heavy rains and temperature fluctuations in early May…
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The latest Southern SARE newsletter is now available. You can view it here. It lists a variety of workshops and other activities in sustainable agriculture, including livestock and cover crop workshops, that might be of interest.
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Last fall Seeker.com posted an article describing the vegetation changes that are being seen in the Florida Everglades due to rising sea levels. The article notes that “Salt-loving mangroves in the Everglades have marched inland in the past decade, while freshwater plants — such as saw grass, spike rush and tropical hardwood trees — lost…
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The Climate Corporation published an article last week describing the impacts of an El Niño on yields of corn and soybeans in the Midwest. Their analysis showed that El Niño has little impact on yields in that region. But how about the Southeast? While we have much smaller acreage planted in those crops, the yields…
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Weather Underground posted a story today about how one winery owner in Virginia uses a personal weather station to help manage his vineyards. It shows the benefits of having hyper-local weather data so you know exactly what is happening in your own fields. You can read the story here. Weather Underground collects weather data from many…