Local Farmer Reacts to NOAA Summer Weather Outlook

DRESDEN, OHIO (WHIZ) – With Memorial Day right around the corner, a lot of people are starting to think about summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) has also been thinking about summer, releasing their 2017 summer outlook last week.

The outlook supports better chances for a warmer than average summer across much of the United States. Only in the Great Plains is there equal chances for normal, below normal or above normal temperatures in the 3 month outlook.

For us in southeastern Ohio, temperatures are favored to be slightly warmer than average this summer.  They also have an interactive map that allows to you to view other cities temperature probabilities for the summer.

We visited Huston Farms in Dresden, Ohio, to speak with Bill Huston, Owner, about what he thinks about NOAA’s summer weather outlook and how it impacts his business.

“Every year is a challenge in some way or another,” said Bill Huston. “This year started out really well. We got stuff in early; then it got wet and we’re not late yet, really the year has been pretty good.”

Huston is now retired, but he had spent over 30 years working for the USDA’s Farm Service Agency as the County Executive Director. He had grown up on a fruit and vegetable farm outside of Clyde, Ohio and has been raising fruit and vegetables on his 200-acre farm in Muskingum County since 1988.

Huston told us that he’s excited for the potential of a warmer than average summer.

“The best thing for a crop is hot and humid. The more uncomfortable we are as humans, the more they(crops) like it and the better it is.”

Huston does admit there are some downsides to the summer heat.

“If it’s hot and humid, especially on a vegetable farm, it’s hard enough to find labor now; but if it’s 90 or 100 degrees, 80 or 90 percent humidity, that makes that job much more difficult.”

Huston said that too much rain can also be an issue.

“When you get two or three inches at a time, its tough.” Huston said because of slope and the topography of southeastern Ohio, rain can easily wash out the soil around his crops when it’s raining hard enough for a prolonged period of time.

Huston said that his farm sits a little low, so it retains water well. He said that a little rain is better than more rain this summer. “As long as we get enough dry spells in the next two, three weeks to finish up and get stuff in the ground, I think that this is going to be a good year.”

Along with NOAA’s summer temperature outlook, they also released an outlook based on precipitation probabilities.

For the eastern half of the United States, there isn’t a strong signal leaning towards above, below or normal amounts of rainfall for the upcoming summer months. Equal chances of precipitation means that we have a fair chance of having one of the three(above, below or normal) for the summer.

Despite all the challenges, Huston said that it’s all apart of the farmer lifestyle.

“It’s not like we’re making a lot of money, but we’re making a living. Plus, its wholesome work and I’m proud of what we grow here. I’m proud of saying these are what a grow, this is the quality that I’m producing, feeding people is a wonderful thing.”