Most small businesses in the Pioneer Valley rely on a combination of expertise, grit, adaptability and luck to survive on slim margins in a highly competitive global market — especially on the heels of the disruptions connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain issues and inflation. This is especially true for local farmers, whose seasonal businesses are dependent on increasingly unpredictable weather.
As they look ahead to the 2024 growing season, many local farmers are still managing the effects of a difficult 2023. Last year’s extreme weather events brought freezes in February and May that damaged peach, apple and blueberry crops, and then widespread flooding in July that destroyed thousands of acres of crops, causing tens of millions of dollars in losses. This flooding was part of a broader pattern of heavy rain, which also made fields unworkable and damaged crops, even on farms that didn’t experience river flooding.
