ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY JOHN MOODY
Last spring, as I prepared to give a presentation, I received a text message from my wife: “Freezing temperatures and snow forecast for tonight.” If our farm were in northeast Ohio, New York or Michigan, that would not be a surprise. But we live in Kentucky. Some years, I have enjoyed fresh green beans and new potatoes by the beginning of May. But this year, we had snow. The entire growing season was no different. August brought sub-60-degree nighttime temperatures, and many days were in the 70s.
The end result: Warm-season starts were stunted and small, while cool-season crops quickly bolted and were mostly a bust, with only the high tunnel saving our warmseason crops from the excess precipitation and unseasonable cold. It was a tough year to grow food no matter the day, week, or month.