Cool temperatures in April delayed the breakup process and greening. This delays Alaska farmers from putting their crops planted. Farmers are now facing the possibility of a lower harvest for the third time in the row.
This also means that, it is the case that Delta Junction farmer Scott Mugrage goes out each early to feed his animals and animals, he must increase the throttle when the tractor is driven into the field that is muddy Some of which remain submerged, in order to spread hay out for hungry calves and cows.
Mugrage produces feed and hay for his cattle herd of 600 heads He also sells the rest of his cattle to owners throughout the state. However, he is concerned that he might not be able to sell enough this year due to cooler than average temperatures in the last month left his fields mostly covered in snow for the final week or two. He says that unless it gets warmer quickly, it will take a few weeks more before the melting water is absorbed and the mud has dried enough to allow the planting of barley and hay.
“We’re far to planting in this season,” the farmer said during an interview on Wednesday. “You know that the next step will to be to get enough heat to the soil to allow any crop to grow at all.”
Delta area UAF Cooperative Extension Service agent Phil Kaspari says the presence of the snow and slush that’s accumulated on fields in the region means farmers won’t be able to put these plants into the ground in the near future.
“We typically would like to be in the field and getting good results around the 10th of May on the 10th,” he said. However, this year “that will not be the case.”
Kaspari states that grains such as barley must be planted by May 25 to be mature enough for a successful harvest. Also, that’s the date when farmers must meet to receive the full amount of crop insurance, in the event that the growing season plays into a disaster — yet again.
“Last year, due to all the snow that we experienced many of us did not start until 22 2nd the 23rd 3rd,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “And we experienced the late-July frost followed by the frost that came in early-August.”
Mugrage states that farmers are already battling issues caused by the pandemic, such as slow supply chains and the high cost of fertilizer and fuel. If the cold conditions persist and farmers get further behind in planting, they could face the possibility of a third consecutive year with a sluggish harvest.
“When we see these late-season plantings We hope for an extended fall or some other thing,” he said. “But we haven’t seen those!”
A late spring warmth does not mean that that the season of growth will last further into autumn, according to Rick Thoman.Thoman who is a climate specialist at the Alaska University Fairbanks’ Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. However, he says that the long-term predictions for this summer indicate that it will be warmer than average within the Interior.
“The chances are significantly higher than normal,” he said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.
Thoman predicts an average amount of rainfall from August through the end of the month.
He can understand why farmers want temperatures to rise in the quickest time possible. However, he believes that it is better to warm slowly in order to lessen the risk of flooding.
“With the thick snowpack and the extremely cold April, if we were to reach 70s temperatures -which is at this time of the year is quite possibleit would be a perfect recipe for severe breakup flooding,” he said.
Mugrage is the president of the Alaska Farm Bureau, and he claims that farmers across the state are experiencing the same issue. He’s motivated by the warmer temperatures in the last few days in the Interior that have helped melt most of the snow that’s fallen on his fields. He’s pleased with that the summer forecast is more warm than normal.
“We could still make it in the coming year” He said. “I think we could be a bit late, but we’ll get a fall that’ll produce a hefty crop.”
It’s a goal shared by the Alaskan livestock farmers and farmers. In the meantime, livestock need to feed, and Mugrage is planning to utilize the last year’s harvest to ensure his cows are happy.
