From the field to the table, farmer’s crops are a labor of love for months before they’re ready. Once harvest time rolls around, farmers are ready to bring in the fruits of their labor, but weather can have an impact on just how that happens.

At the end of the growing season, harvest is the end goal. Short term weather can impact just when that happens. Harvest can be delayed by rainy days or harvest can come later than expected due to weather during the growing season. Just one example of the latter would be severe weather. There have been instances when a crop is growing but then is hit by hail or wind which damages it. If the timing is right, some crops are able to be replanted, but a later plant date would generally lead to a later harvest date. 

Weather and climate are some of the factors out of farmers’ control. With a changing climate, producers are having to adapt their agricultural practices. Changes in frost timing, temperatures and precipitation patterns will all change how farmers can keep producing crops. Those changes can lengthen growing seasons which would mean farmers needing to reconsider what crops they grow. The EPA says that almost every state now has a longer growing season. A changing climate can also mean different regions will be more suitable for growing certain crops. 

According to the EPA, a changing climate can also mean a difference in what natural resources are available. Water is one of the biggest factors that producers must consider. Changes in the land are another element that could change the types of crops that would thrive there. Climate change is known to lead to more extreme precipitation events which can erode needed soil which can in turn deplete nutrients in that soil. On the flip side of that, increased instances of drought have also been noted due to climate change. Drought conditions can lead to struggling crops and reduced outputs for producers. 

While changes in weather have several impacts on crops and livestock, research is underway to help adapt to these changes. Future research will be needed as farmers and producers continue with their important job to feed the world.