Tag: Climate Change

Farming In Winter: Deadly Cold (Long Read)

~ Carrie

Unless you’ve been living underground, you’re probably aware of the disastrous consequences the holiday storm wreaked (yes, wreaked, not wrecked!) on many areas of the country. People have died because of the bitterly cold temperatures, though there are stories of everyday heroism worth celebrating (juxtaposed with stories of shocking callousness). While small farmers may not make the news, I’m sure that many animals – including wild animals – also lost their lives or suffered injury during the brutal cold because this was a cold that had to be experienced to be believed.

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Reality Check: The Melted Farmer

~ Carrie

As someone who currently lives in a humid subtropical region, I expect some heat and humidity in the summer. I do. But what I don’t expect is days-long stretches of heat and humidity that reach 110F with the heat index and nighttime temperatures in the 80s – heat waves that necessitate “excessive heat warnings” from the weather service that basically advise rational people to stay indoors. How, exactly, does a farmer do that?

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Home Hacks: Keeping The Heat Out

~ Carrie
We may have lost a view temporarily, but at least it’s cool in here!

Summer is nearly upon us, and it’s already very hot here. The sun coming into our home’s older windows creates a greenhouse effect, which raises the temperature significantly in rooms and makes the heat pump work harder to cool them. And that means big power bills. But using an item you may already have around can keep that heat out and save money on cooling: emergency blankets.

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Farm Fowl: Weathering The Heat

~ Carrie

We’ve been suffering the effects of a “heat dome” here for about the past week. Temperatures have been in the 90s during the day (reaching 105F+ with the heat index), and it doesn’t cool off much at night. This makes for dangerously hot weather, for people and animals. We’ve learned some tricks over the years that helps keep our flocks healthy and resilient, and are employing them now.

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Around The Farm: Too Warm, A Bit Too Early

~ Carrie
A maple tree’s fresh new leaves

It’s a sunny Saturday here on the farm, and it’s been unusually warm. Temperatures yesterday hit 80F and are forecasted to be in the 80s (currently 84F now) for the remainder of the weekend. The combination of high humidity and temperatures makes for some uncomfortable days working outside, a reminder of the real heat and humidity that are just around the corner.

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