Climate change’s impact on Wisconsin’s agriculture
Photo by Rachel Sokolow. This photo was taken on Dec. 11, 2022, and shows how uncharacteristic this winter has been in terms of snowfall.
By Rachel Sokolow
It is time to face the fact that Wisconsin’s climate is changing and has been for some time now.
This year’s weather stayed in the high 60 to 70 degrees, which is much longer than normal, and the amount of snowfall this winter was minimal compared to winters past explained Matt Turner a geography professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) released an impacts and adaptations report examining weather patterns from 1950 to now. So far, the average annual temperature has risen 1 degree Fahrenheit and winter temperatures have risen an average of 2.5 degrees. The average precipitation has also increased by roughly 10 percent, and more floods are expected to occur. These changes have affected season durations and led to an expanding growing season.
This new normal for Wisconsin weather has lasting environmental effects, especially on the agriculture industry.
According to Turner, certain crops are expected to have decreased yields because they are not adapted to grow in these new higher temperatures.
Turner also pointed out that more precipitation and the new season durations meant that the growing season is longer “but with instances of dry spells falling between large rainfall events tied to flooding.”
“We consider climate change to be our greatest challenge in the coming years,” said Kristen Kordet, the owner and primary operator of Blue Moon Community Farm. “We are already seeing more severe weather events that threaten our soil, our crop health and our overall viability.”
These changes have resulted in some fear about the future of agriculture and instilled farmers with the need to enhance their farming practices to be more inclusive of these new weather patterns.
Kim Jakubowski and her husband Jake co-own Westridge Farms and have worked together since 2004. In their time working together, they have seen major droughts and excessive rain.
“We are organic vegetable farmers for our full time living, this is our livelihood, and we need to find ways to fight the battle,” said Jakubowski.
One of the biggest problems has been diseases, such as black rot, that occurs due to excessive heat and moisture. The brassica crops –– broccoli, cabbage and kale –– are just one variety of crops affected by this rot.
Both the Blue Moon Community Farm and Westridge Farm made a point of adding high tunnels, similar to greenhouses but without heating, to help shelter sensitive crops, such as the brassica, from the elements.
The farms have implemented other practices as well.
So far, Westridge Farms has applied no-till practices to minimize soil disturbances caused by heavy rain and floods. They also started adding more compost to their soil because it acts like a sponge and helps to absorb water.
The Blue Moon Community Farm has implemented similar practices. In the summer, marsh hay is added as mulch to keep the soil covered, which protects the crop quality. They also add leaf mulch and compost to their fields to improve water absorption.
These adaptive practices are necessary for keeping the agricultural industry alive and well. These new extremes of hotter temperatures and increased rain and humidity do concern farmers, but it is clear that steps have already been taken to mitigate the harms of climate change on agriculture.
“I am concerned that not enough farmers will have the ability to get ahead of the problem in order to stay in business,” said Kordet. “Mitigation isn’t cheap. I hope that support, research and education can be directed to retooling farmers for changes that need to happen.”