Still More Freaky Weather

[ohiofarmgirl]

What exactly is there that's weather-specific to discuss?

I mean, how would whatever discussion you keep trying to get going look any different than SS type discussions in general or vis-a-vis other problems (food shortages, civil strife, transportation breakdown, individual natural disasters e.g. hurricanes, etc?)

I used the word "obsessing" because you keep on bringing this up repeatedly.

Yet I am really not getting how it's different than any of the discussions we're already having and have had??

Pat

I curious, why does KevsFarm's desire to discuss the weather bother you so much? Isn't this a discussion board?

X2

sometimes people just want to talk to have an interaction. not just to exchange facts. if you dont like it, then dont participate or criticize. like JRmom said the question seems pretty clear.

what am i doing differently? we are making an effort to capture rainwater and divert it (out of our basement) and into our pond. thats a big project this year and while not having a swampy basement is a big goal, i keep thinking about how we may be lucky to have all that water in our pond one day.

another thing we are doing is clearing pasture judiciously - we arent clear cutting, but keeping enough shade to make sense for flocks while allowing for us to plant a pasture for free ranging.

 

[freemotion]

Thanks for focusing it, JRsmom.

I'm trying to get more things planted that can be planted early, before the extreme heat hits. This year I put in potatoes, onions, and asparagus. I have more things that don't need replanting or that are planted in the fall, like garlic, strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb, along with all my herbs.

I am thinking of using soaker hoses to water my gardens and will probably buy one to start with to see how it goes. Using the sprinkler is wasteful, but I had to water almost every single week last summer and it still was not enough.

I am looking more closely at reclaiming some of my land that was used as a trash dump so I can put the goats out there to clear brush...but that is a longer term project.

I am learning more about foraging and exploring places to forage, like the local rails-to-trails bike trail. Most people are clueless about foraging so it is mine, all mine! My plan is to make a list for myself so I remember where to return at certain times of the year.

There is more but that is the quick list. I hate the heat!

 

[moolie]

What if anything different, are SS folks here doing to adjust to these extreme weather patterns.

I believe this is KevsFarm's question.... not if you believe in "global warming" or "global climate change".

Personally, I'm not doing anything "different", just keepin' on keepin' on with striving to reach my SS goals.

Extreme weather hasn't affected me personally, if anything we've had longer, colder winters and cooler wetter springs and summers over the past 10 years.

When it comes to food pricing, I haven't seen any real differences because I buy local. I live in a major grain growing area and it's easy to find reasonably priced organic wheat and other grains and we bake (well hubs does) our own bread. We don't use much milk because hubs doesn't like it and I'm lactose-intolerant, so we only buy it for the kids--prices have increased maybe 50c/gallon over the past 5-10 years. Meat is all local and we buy direct from the farmers whom we've got to know over the years at the farmer's market--I buy in $250 freezer lots from organic farmers who pasture-raise their bison/pork/beef. Veggies/fruit etc. we buy local and my folks will bring out summer fruit from BC's Okanagan valley where they live--if you buy seasonal produce there are huge savings, and fruit is so easy to can up (we freeze most veggies). Plus we garden, more and more each year since moving house 3 years ago, which helps a lot regardless of what the commercial pricing might be for fruits and veggies.

I don't personally see any difference in how extreme weather events are covered in the media either--I remember crazy hurricane and tornado seasons being reported all the way back to the 70s, and everyone was worried about the "ring of fire" back in the 80s after Mt. St. Helens and the early 90s after Loma Prieta and Mt. Pinatubo. The earth is in constant flux as is hurtles through space, there are all sorts of pulls that we don't understand. And we know from the geological record that the earth wavers between ice ages and (in my area) warm tropical inland seas over history.

There are all sorts of "pseudo educational" tv programs about how people will survive if say the climate heats up such that people can't live anywhere near the equator, and should that happen it will just open up the sparsely populated extreme north and south--there's still enough room for people, national populations will just need to be adjusted. If the nations we know now even exist by then, as it will be several generations before the possibility of those climate patterns even happen.

Sure, weather is a great topic--people have been talking about it probably forever. Drought and flood are serious forces on food production. Severe weather incidents wreak havoc on both man-made and natural features. But people move on--there really isn't anything we can do about the patterns.

 

[JRmom]

If our spring this year is an indication of extreme weather, I'll keep it! Usually by mid-May we are experiencing the dreaded summer temperatures and humidity. This year has been wonderful... cooler temps, low humidity, and a great breeze almost all the time. We are very dry though, but that's not unusual this time of year. The afternoon thunder boomers and rain usually don't start until July.

ETA: @Freemotion... This is my 2nd summer of using soaker hoses on a timer. I LOVE them. Last summer we made a mistake and actually bought hoses that shot up a small sprinkle, so read the label. LOL Right now, my timer is set for 2 hours in the morning (7am-9pm) and 2 hours in the evening (7pm-9pm). In between the top soil dries out, but if I dig down just an inch or so, the soil is nice and damp, at the roots where the water needs to be.

We had debated setting up another kind of irrigation this year, but the soaker hoses have been working beautifully. The timer came from Lowes and cost around $30 if I remember correctly, but it's very well made and heavy duty, and this is the 2nd summer I've used it. It's digital and has a tiny solar battery in it, which is great here in Florida.

 

[MsPony]

I didn't read through yet, but the fires and drought are ALWAYS bad here in the southwest. Fire (naturally started) is good, as it clears away invasive plants, old dead growth, and allows for new.
Southwest is a desert, deserts ALWAYS go through droughts. Lake Cachuma is overfull for The first time in years, I think were clear of drought in sb county for the first time in decades.

 

[KevsFarm]

Thanks to those of you who see this thread for what its suppose to be. A simply discussion/question about what folks are doing different in light of the recent crazy weather.I don't know why some here interpret my talking about the weather and the results as freaking out, obsessive or panicing.Weather is having a huge effect on millions of peoples lives and millions of acres of crops, so i feel its a relative topic for SS'er...Gina, i use soakers hoses , besides conserving water ,your also not watering weeds...! I think they are a great idea.I do use a regular sprinkler in my big garlic patch, because it is a rather large area and works effectivly without much waste in that situation.I have my rows of garlic planted pretty tight, just enough between rows to walk and weed.I'm a big mulcher as well,mulch, mulch and more mulch...lol It conserves water, keeps weeds down.I'm opening up more growing space like some others have mentioned for more varities of crops for canning and drying.Perenial crops are a great investment, like asparagus, raspberries, blueberries, figs and such.I have way more than i can use, but i barter with others for fresh fish, etc..It's great to keep expanding what you grow and learn ways to conserve water in droughts.Flooding is a tough one,not a whole lot you can do about that other than plant on higher ground, don't buy growing land in the flood prone areas.I think growing will be more of a challenge as time goes, with the extreme weather of late, big demand for more food and a growing desire to want to take control of ones own food supply.

 

[FarmerChick]

so basically the first post meant-----where you live, with your weather patterns, what are you doing to combat those problems?


cause everyone is different. I am NC. WE ALWAYS have heat and drought problems. Nothing new.

Winter is ice problems. Nothing new.

My first fast planted root veggies get killed by that 'late' frost. Nothing new....lol...duh, ya think over 15 years of trying to beat that last frost I would know better to plant a few weeks later, but I always try to beat that last bit of frost

And truly they are no more extreme today than when I moved to NC 15 years ago.


weather patterns change. simple as that. just checking history can show anyone those facts.


it gets confusing when you truly think that weather patterns are changing so extreme before your eyes, that you think you MUST prepare for some more extreme changes.

and extreme change for me would be either 90 deg on Christmas day or -30 on Christmas day....lol....NC most Christmas is 60 to 40.....and has always punched around those numbers. When it is 60 we say, WOW WHAT A HOT Christmas day.....when it hits about 40 WE SAY WE ARE FREEZING!!!! lol


I still don't see this "extreme weather of late" the OP is mentioning. Check history, this weather has happened not that long ago. But we are living with the news of tornados, big storms, massive snowstorms, etc. and it 'seems' extreme but it has happened before not that long ago.

 

[pinkfox]

if the way this past 2 years have been going here in my area of ct were going to have to do more hOT weather crops...

we havent had much of a spring as such, it whent from 6ft of snow to hot and wet, to not hot and occasionally wet...

im fighting to keep my lettuce, which i can usually keep going from spring to fall without issue, from bolting from our reacent heat, planting all out cauli, cabbage, sprouts and broccoli in a much more shaded spot this year to try and get better results because of the heat...
i mean ct has summers, always has...but the last couple years it seems like we go form winter to summer and back again, spring and fall seem to last but a week total.

weve done alot of perenials this year too, herbs, fruit bushes and 2 apple trees, more grape vines in hopes that well get good production off those even if we dont get the best production out of the veggies because of the shorter than usual spring and falls.

 

[mszekely]

I know what you mean pinkfox, no spring, right in to hot hot weather. Even the chickens have been panting from the abrupt change! Here in Ohio we had lots of rain, the farmers couldn't get the corn in; although our little house crop will probably make it. I have planted some gooseberries and raspberries for perennial crops, we also have apples and pears. Hoping for the usual tomato crop. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you!

 

[KevsFarm]

OMG.. can you imagine what it must be like to grow a garden/crops in Arizona..?? They have just recorded the worst, wildfires in the states history.You talk about dry and drought...! Aren't you in Arizona Wifeziila...? Geeez...I sure hope those raging firestorms aren't near you, if thats your homestate...! Just more freaky weather...! One saving grace, at least water from the pacific northwest snowmelt will be coming down to the parched southwest states...!They say the much needed water will resupply water resevoirs in dyer need...