May 28, 2011

Not just me

I'm not the only person noticing that this has been a long hard spring. From the Vancouver, BC Sun
Cold, wet spring ruins crops for southwestern B.C. farmers
Expect fewer local vegetables in stores and markets this summer as farmers in southwestern B.C. struggle to recover from a cold, wet and dark spring.

Early field crops such as peas and beans rotted in the ground before they could germinate while small fruits such as strawberries are weeks behind their normal schedule and fruit development has been retarded, said Richmond farmer Bill Zylmans. A shorter growing season will mean lower yields for farmers, a tough blow after heavy rains in September ended last year's growing season a month early and wiped out potato, carrot and beet crops.

"It's been pretty depressing up until today," said Zylmans, who spent a sunny morning Tuesday trying to determine which fields might drain sufficiently to allow planting. "We're three to four weeks behind and these are a crucial three to four weeks."

Corn, cabbages, lettuces and potatoes will all be late arriving on store shelves this summer and the shorter growing season means the harvest will be 20 per cent below normal.

B.C. farm crops are worth about $1.15 billion annually.

"The nugget potatoes would just be arriving in stores about now, that's not going to happen. [Farmers] plant early corn so we see fresh Chilliwack corn in late July, that isn't going to happen," said Zylmans.

Farmers in Richmond and Delta will be rushing to get potatoes in the ground during this week's sunny weather, provided the pools of water covering many of their fields recede in time.

"We're champing at the bit," said Zylmans. "This is on the heels of a disastrous fall and we were really hoping nature would deal us a better spring."
Locavores are going to be hit hard and regular eaters will still enjoy crops grown in other areas but will have to pay more because energy prices have skyrocketed. Posted by DaveH at May 28, 2011 4:54 PM
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