I heard a grower say once, "The one constant we deal with is change." The longer I have been around farming and the produce industry, the more I understand how true that statement was.  One constant change we deal with is weather patterns.

You can't research the subject without encountering all sorts of data regarding global climate change but for now, we will address short term changes to weather, not the long term.

The warmer than usual temperatures in the Southeast have created an earlier start than last year for watermelon. Onions out of the Vidalia region in Georgia started the week of April twelfth this year; two full weeks ahead of last year's harvest. Robert Franklin of Shuman Produce said, "The soil temps have been so much warmer earlier that growth has been exponential. Sizes are larger earlier."

While visiting California in March, I saw standing water in fields all around the Sacramento area. After years of very dry weather, farmers now have the problem of too much rain falling in a very short period of time. There is no doubt it will be later than normal when those growers are able to work their fields and prepare for new planting.

The CBS Sunday Morning Show had a feature on April 2, 2017 which talked about seed repositories.  The feature discussed research for heat resistant and blight resistant varieties of wheat and other grains to prevent a cataclysmic loss of food production around the world.

Some interesting changes in weather are occurring. In some cases it will increase yields and provide early produce. In other cases it will delay planting but may still encourage stronger growth. It will just depend on the changes that occur. What is not in question is that growers, as they always have, will have to adjust to whatever the weather changes bring.