GRESHAM, Ore. (KOIN) — As a farmer, Michelle Week knows all about adapting to changes. That’s been especially true in recent months as the region has been cooler and wetter than normal.
“The wet weather definitely slows our plants down,” said Week, the owner of Good Rain Farm in Gresham. “They’re really affected by soil and air temperature. And having cloudier, overcast days for so long also affects their daylight hour.”
Good Rain Farm is a CSA — Community Supported Agriculture — which means people invest ahead of time and get a share of the crops later on. The spring shares are starting smaller and she hope the season will ramp up with sunnier, drier days ahead.
There are rows and rows of green plants at the farm now. At a glance it may not look as if they’ve been challenged by the weather. But they have.
“Because it’s so soggy, a lot of the roots don’t like having super, water-logged, soggy feelings. They get kind of prune-y, like our fingers and what not,” she said, laughing. “They don’t like it.”
She spotted how stress on crops like collards and broccoli made them stunted, trying to sprout flowers and have seedlings before they are large enough for a typical harvest.
“A lot of those plants are getting tilled under and turned over for the next succession planting,” she told KOIN 6 News. “We really hurried up, taking advantage of our sunny weather and trying to catch up.”
But catching up often means longer days outside, which is all part of being a farmer through the good and tough times.
“I’ve known farmers who unfortunately lost some potato crops in the snow as well. Potatoes don’t like getting cold, so they started rotting,” Week said. “So it’s unfortunate. We’ll see some yield lost and farmers are pivoting their crop varieties to match this weather now.”
Adjustments at local farms will impact customers. She hopes people will be understanding.
“We just ask for, like, grace and forgiveness and patience as we try to navigate the weather,” Week said.
