Heavy Rain Delays Planting Schedules for N.H. Farmers

Amid heavy rainfall in May and early June, some New Hampshire farmers are struggling to follow their traditional spring planting schedules. 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this past May was the fourth-wettest in New Hampshire's history.

In an interview with the Concord Monitor, Olivia Saunders, fruit and vegetable production field specialist at the University of New Hampshire, said many farmers have had a challenging time moving plants from the greenhouses to the fields.

Charleston's Peachblow Farm owner Bob Frizzell said some of his farm activities have been delayed. While cutting grass for straw typically takes place in early May, this year, Frizzell has only been able to start his cutting in June. Spraying fungicides on plants has also been difficult, he said, since heavy rains wash it off the plants.

Other farmers like Luke Mahoney, owner of Brookford Farm in Canterbury, said the rainfall isn't all that bad. With the diverse crops he grows in his farm's sandy soil, Mahoney hopes “for an inch of rain every other day. I can't complain,” he said.

However, Mahoney acknowledges that continued heavy rainfall would significantly impact the state's strawberry crop, which is due for harvest soon.

Liza DeGenring, food and agriculture field specialist at the University of New Hampshire, told the Concord Monitor that fruit growers are doing all that they can to protect their fruit trees from fungal diseases such as apple scab, which thrive in wet environments.

DeGenring encourages the public to support their local farms, which are feeling the impacts of the rainy weather through the loss of income from their produce stands and markets.

Danny Hicks, owner of Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry, said that his farm has shifted more of the business to providing agritourism experiences, which have helped the operation to stay in business.

“Come here, have a good time, spend time outside, learn about farming,” he said. “This is what a lot of families do. This is our livelihood.”