SEYMOUR (NBC 26) — Andrew Adamski, farmer-owner of Full Circle Community Farm, says the high temperatures and drought conditions this spring have required more attention and planning than in a typical year.
"We grow a huge multitude of crops, the biggest ones being cabbage, lettuce, and broccoli. Those are the ones that are the most susceptible to hot, dry conditions like this," Adamski said.
That means the farm has had to put in extra effort to make sure their crops stay watered.
"If the plants aren't watered consistently they'll start to develop cracks and splits," said Scott Rosenberg, who works on the farm. "This heat really stresses out the plants quite a bit and it takes a lot more attention on our part."
While utilizing a sprinkler system and shade covers help keep the crops cool, Adamski says they're more of a band-aid than a solution. He says the best way to combat the heat is by taking more preventative measures such as composting.
"The biggest thing is all in preparation," Adamski said. "What we're doing is amending our soils with huge amounts of organic matter, so we're composting all the manure from the cows. We're going to be starting to work with hopefully the city of Green Bay and getting a composting facility out here."
He says composting is the best way for farms to build resiliency to the harsh weather conditions that they're currently experiencing.
"That's really what we can do is add compost, add organic matter into our soils so when we do have water it holds it and it doesn't just evaporate," Adamski said. "That's what farms are going to have to do for the future of agriculture to persist. If we don't do this, climate change is going to get all of us. What's the good of growing a thousand acres of corn if it can't handle a drought?"
