SPRING RAINS BLESS CROPS

Jun 25, 2009      The Free Lance-Star

Rusty Dennen

Jun. 25, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- The rain has stopped, for now, replaced by mood-lifting blue sky and puffy white clouds.

But recent storms have left in their wake bumper crops for farmers, re-vitalized area reservoirs and the Rappahannock River running bank full.

Fredericksburg farmer Emmett C. Snead III said the rain -- already almost twice as much as normal for June -- came at the right time and created an abundance of crops such as asparagus, blackberries and raspberries.

In a typical year, asparagus -- which Snead's family sells at its farm off U.S. 17 in northern Caroline County -- is available from the end of April to about June 1.

But rainy, cool weather, he says, has made it grow slower, "stretching the season longer. And when it grows slower, it tastes better.

"This has happened maybe three times in the last 30 years, and this is the best one."

The crop could last until July 1.

And he's looking at bumper berry crops, as well. Blackberry and raspberry bushes are loaded.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said.

Snead also grows 17 acres of Christmas trees at his farm. Growth of blue spruce has been robust.

"It's the best I've ever seen," he said.

Hay is plentiful, but farmers need dry weather to cut and cure it.

The National Weather Service is calling for a chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.

The last prolonged stretch of dry weather occurred from May 19-25.

For some crops, such as strawberries and corn, too much rain is bad.

"Corn in fields that lay lower than normal or in heavy soil, the roots get saturated and it's stunted," Snead said.

Strawberries rot with excessively wet, cloudy weather.

So far in June, 6.77 inches of rain have fallen, according to the Fredericksburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. The station there reports totals to the National Weather Service. The normal amount for the entire month is 3.37 inches.

In May, 4.34 inches fell, well above the norm for the month, which is 3.85 inches.

And in April, 3.97 inches fell, nearly an inch more than normal.

So far this year, 19.71 inches of rain have fallen. The normal amount from January through June is 20.04 inches. But the first three months of 2009 were drier than normal.

February was one of the driest months in recent years, with only one one-hundredth of an inch recorded.

So far this month, nine days have been rain-free.

Today, area reservoirs are full, having recovered from the 2007 drought, which prompted water restrictions in several area localities.

So much water is flowing down the Rappahannock that several swimmers and kayakers have been rescued from its swirling, brown waters.

On Tuesday, the river level finally dropped below 3.5 feet at the U.S. Geological Survey gauge downstream from Motts Run. That's the maximum level considered safe for recreational boating by the Friends of the Rappahannock.

Newstex ID: 36004125

Return to full Washington Letter