Local farms off to a late start due to cold, rainy weather

Yahoo

27-05-2025

BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — It may have been sunny and dry on Tuesday, but farmers are still behind schedule after a very wet spring.
Reeves Farms is taking advantage of the nice weather while it lasts.
'We do our best to try to sneak things in when the weather is nice, but you can only do so much in the few days we've had,' said Karin Reeves, co-owner of Reeves Farms.
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But even on days when the sun is shining, it's still not enough to make up for the rain that's fallen.
'Our crops need a certain amount of rain, but when you get into the more than two or three inches in a month, that starts to get excessive. So when we're talking about five inches this month, that's a lot, and then on top of the rain, we've had some really cold temperatures,' said Reeves.'…All of that just means that the plants are just maturing a little bit more slowly than normal.'
Reeves says its strawberry fields are also behind this season. Many of the berries are still green and far from being fully developed.
'We picked strawberries on May 30th last year and right now, I am not sure when we're going to pick these. We're only three days away from May 30th and they're far from being ready yet,' said Reeves.
Mother nature has also delayed planting for other crops like cucumbers and zucchini.
'We do lots of different things on the farm to try and manage the weather as best we can. But when you have a period like we did of five days of rain and cold, there's not much you can do about that. You're just waiting and hoping it gets better,' said Reeves.
Despite a late start to the season, Reeves is hoping for a successful one.
For updates on this year's growing season, check out Reeves Farms' Facebook page.
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