An upcoming conference aims to help farmers deal with extreme weather in a year that has been walloped by storms. Farmers in some parts of the country could use more rain, while others would like a break from moisture. And producers on the West Coast hope firefighters can gain control of the Mountain Fire that is spreading through farm fields.
Prepping for Weather’s Worst
You must feel for anyone named “Helene” who lives in the Southeast. The hurricane with that name was the worst to hit the Tampa, Florida, region in a century.
RELATED: See this in-depth story from the Tampa Bay Times, which provides perspective on the unique destruction that Hurricane Helene caused on September 26th.
Hurricane Milton also delivered widespread devastation. Some forecasters expressed concerns about the potential for a particularly bad hurricane season during the summer when Beryl hit in July, the earliest that a category 5 hurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean since records began in 1920. The BBC provided this breakdown of the hurricanes in 2024 and why they were so unusually bad.
Hurricanes aren’t a direct threat in the Midwest. But extreme weather is. The Agriculture Climate Tools Workshop will give farmers access to top climate experts and look at resources available for planning for the worst of the weather.
Farmers can get information on fertilizing, irrigation, growing conditions, crop monitoring, and planting.
The University of Illinois Extension will host the workshop December 2 in Urbana. The workshop is free. Parking and lunch are, too.
Rain is the Problem
Pray for rain. Pray that the rain stops. Those prayers differ based on your geography. Rain would be welcome in parts of Minnesota. It would be appreciated if it slowed down for a while in Kentucky.
And Brownfield Ag News produced this story on how Kentucky farmers have dealt with wet conditions as they harvested.
Mountain Fire
Blame the Santa Ana wind event for what has already caused an estimated $6 million in damage to the agricultural industry in California this month. Firefighters have been battling the Mountain Fire this week, hoping to get it contained to minimize additional damage.
The fire began in Ventura County, damaged more than 250 structures, scorched more than 20,000 acres, and sent thousands of people scurrying to avoid its path.
Avocados, citrus, and raspberries are among the crops that suffered most in the fire.
