Climate and Ag in the news
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The recent snow and rain that fell on Texas provided needed rain for the drought-stricken farmers and ranchers there, although it also caused problems with power outages and road closures. But the drought in Texas is so bad that it may only provide limited relief going into the next growing season. You can read more…
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While we don’t have large amounts of snow here in the Southeast, it does happen on occasion, especially if you are in North Carolina or Virginia. You might be interested in this story from Dairy Herd Management on how livestock farmers in New England have to prepare for snowstorms and cold weather. This is especially…
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The recent frost had blueberry growers worried about losing their crop this past weekend. While evaluations are still coming in, many of the producers are relieved that damage to their farms does not appear to be as bad as first feared. The crop was well ahead of normal this year due to the unusually warm…
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One group of people that has been pleased by the recent cold weather is the farmers who grow peaches. After several years of low chill hours due to warm winters, they are happy that the number of chill hours (hours below 45 F) is higher this year than in the recent past. This means that…
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Most people are fascinated by “before and after” pictures showing how people and places can transform over time. This story from Yale Climate Connections shows how photographers are documenting changes to natural features caused by the warming climate by trying to recreate historic photographs of famous places. Where there was once a glacier, now there…
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The very cold temperatures that occurred across the region were not that unexpected this time of year, which is usually the coldest period in winter. But because of the very warm December and warmer than normal January in Georgia and Florida, many crops developed much earlier than usual, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the frost.…
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The weather this winter has affected our fruit crops in a number of ways. Early October was relatively warm, so farmers who planted strawberries early in the month saw good growth, but later in the month and through November things were quite cold, so the berries did not grow much during that time period. Once…