SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — As farmers across Central New York kick off their planting season, they’re grappling with the same problem they face every year–late April snow.
“We started planting yesterday, but we’re only planting things that can freeze,” said Wendy Burkhart-Spiegel of Common Thread farm.
Common Thread is located in Madison County, and the farm is known for their Community-Supported Agriculture program. Burkhart-Spiegel said they have between 500 and 600 member households buying into their CSA.
Burkhart-Spiegel and her husband started planting “cold-hearted” crops like beets, scallions, and mini-onions this week.
“They just need to kind of sit through [the cold] and then they’ll pick back up again when the weather gets warmer,” Burkhart-Spiegel said.
West of Madison County, Brownson Family Farm in Kirkville, NY, is facing the same problem.
Melissa Brownson, co-owner of the farm, she said any kind of snowfall has the potential to impact the crops they’re planting.
Luckily for Brownson Family Farm, they were able to plant over 10,000 seeds in their newly expanded greenhouses this year, but they’re now faced with the challenge of transplanting the seedlings into the ground at the right time.
“It’s a big gambling game as to when you plant it, if you wait it out or if you put it in the ground now,” Brownson said.
Brownson Family Farm also has a CSA program, a farm stand, and they set up at farmers markets in Cazenovia, Westcott, and Lakeport.
With local farmers being well-equipped to handle weather changes, Central New Yorkers can look forward to enjoying fresh produce all summer long.
