{"id":11009,"date":"2022-10-27t22:29:56","date_gmt":"2022-10-27t22:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/farmers-forced-to-adapt-as-changing-precipitation-patterns-reduce-output-income\/"},"modified":"2024-02-22t17:43:57","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22t17:43:57","slug":"farmers-forced-to-adapt-as-changing-precipitation-patterns-reduce-output-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/farmers-forced-to-adapt-as-changing-precipitation-patterns-reduce-output-income\/","title":{"rendered":"farmers forced to adapt as changing precipitation patterns reduce output, income"},"content":{"rendered":"
(editor’s note: this story contains some harsh language.)<\/em><\/p>\n mansfield, connecticut \u2013 confronted by the growing unpredictability of precipitation patterns caused by climate change, small-scale connecticut farmers are facing significant losses. but they are learning to adapt their practices and focusing on maintaining soil conditions.<\/p>\n dr. michael dietz is the director of the connecticut institute of water resources and an extension educator for the university of connecticut\u2019s extension program<\/a>. he explained in an interview that tracking the flow levels of connecticut streams and rivers over the past three years shows extreme variation in summer rain levels.<\/p>\n \u201cwe\u2019re still in a moderate drought, but the swing we\u2019ve taken is dramatic,\u201d dietz said. \u201cthere was a drought two years ago, last summer was a wet summer with huge rains and record high flow levels for streams and rivers, and this summer again the drought has brought record low flow levels.\u201d<\/p>\n local farmers have had to adapt their agricultural practices in accordance with these varying precipitation rates. this includes the\u00a0spring valley student farm<\/a>, a collaboration with the university of connecticut\u2019s residential life, dining services and ecohouse learning community.<\/p>\n \u201cit\u2019s so nice now that it rains,\u201d said jessica larkin-wells, the farm manager at spring valley student farm, in an interview detailing the \u201cbrutal\u201d growing season the farm faced due to the recent drought.<\/p>\n spring valley student farm occupies a one-acre plot of land, owned by uconn. the small farm handles drought by building their soil to resist variable precipitation ahead of time, larkin-wells said. this protects their crops against both drought and extremely heavy rain, before either occurs.<\/p>\n