Fans of locally grown corn will have to be patient this year. The lack of rainfall in this area over the past few months has hurt crops that aren’t being irrigated, which, for Harvard farmers, include corn. Paul Willard of Willard Farm said his corn will be late, and it will be in short supply.
One-quarter of Massachusetts, including Harvard, is currently in a moderate drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly map of drought conditions that is produced jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. A moderate drought is defined as causing low streams, reservoirs, or wells, as well as some damage to crops and pastures. The 2016 precipitation total to date measured at the Fitchburg Municipal Airport is a mere 13 inches, 9 inches below normal for this time of year.
Willard said that he doesn’t remember it being this dry this early in the growing season. He said his irrigated crops, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash, are doing fine, but corn is suffering. Chris Green of Westward Orchards said that most of his vegetables are irrigated and are doing well, but his early corn has suffered, with some of it even turning yellow. He’s hoping that the small amount of rain forecast for this week will help his later corn crop.
Frank Carlson of Carlson Orchards said that the drought is not affecting his apple crop because the young trees have drip irrigation and the older trees are deeper rooted. Green said that Westward does not have a lot of high-density trees, which require more water, so his apple crop is not suffering from the drought. At Old Frog Pond Farm, which has both younger trees and high-density trees, owner Linda Hoffman said, “The grass in the orchard between the rows of apple trees is brittle,” but that irrigation from the farm’s pond is saving the crop.
A silver lining for orchards
The one silver lining this year for orchardists, who are struggling with the total loss of this year’s peach crop due to extremely cold temperatures in February, is the berry crop. Carlson, Doe, and Westward orchards are all reporting that it will be a very good year for blueberries. Doe will open for pick-your-own blueberries and raspberries July 5. Carlson and Westward are watching their blueberries closely and will also open for picking in the next few weeks.
