Many farms weathered the storm reasonably well, despite heavy rains, winds and power outages. The mountains experienced some of the heaviest rains, resulting in flooding and damage to roads and bridges. Agri-Mark and DFA, the two major cooperatives that coordinate the marketing and hauling of most of the milk produced in the state, reported no insurmountable problems getting tankers to dairy farms to pick up milk. The story was very different in Vermont and eastern New York where floods were devastating in some areas.

Justin and Julie Hussey had some silage corn under water along the Saco, and some additional corn flattened by winds. Corn and hay fields were also flooded along the Connecticut, from Grafton County south. With a critical shortage of corn silage anticipated across the region, nerves were on edge about any losses. Debris deposited by fast-rising rivers will be a big problem for clean-up.

Keith Marshall, manager of Wilson Farms in Litchfield, noted the contrast between fields of sweet corn flattened by the wind and rain, and nearby stands of sturdier silage corn standing tall and erect the day after the storm. The 500-acre Litchfield farm grows vegetable crops for the Wilson Farms stands in Litchfield and Lexington, Mass. Nearly 50 acres of sweet corn and green beans normally harvested mechanically were flattened by winds. Also wind-damaged were raspberries, tomatoes, and green peppers. Quite a few vegetable growers experienced damage, apples and peaches were blown off trees in some orchards, and some trees were damaged.

USDA Farm Services Agency (FSA) State Director Jay Phinizy advises any farmers or growers who suffered damage to land, property or crops to contact their county FSA office right away. Among FSA programs is the Emergency Conservation Program which cost-shares some restoration and repair expenses.

Last week the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced allocation of an additional $250,000 in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program funds to NRCS State/Area offices in the path of Hurricane Irene. Contact county NRCS offices to report damage and get information.

Storm-related damage to crops can include fungal diseases spread by moist winds coming from warmer regions. Becky Sideman and Cheryl Smith of UNH Cooperative Extension reminded growers and gardeners that tropical storm conditions bring increased risks for downy mildew and late blight. Information about symptoms and recommended fungicides is available at the UNH Cooperative Extension late blight page, http://extension.unh.edu/Agric/LateBlight.htm. They recommend the Cucurbit Downy Mildew IPM webpage http://cdm.ipmpipe.org for information on that plant disease, including an interactive map that tracks outbreaks across the continent.

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On a recent visit with Corrections Commissioner Bill Wrenn and the Grafton County Commissioners to the county farm and jail, we spoke with an inmate about his daily work picking vegetables and serving customers at the farmstand. Inmates were also caring for the herd of Registered Holsteins and feeding the pigs. Cattle and swine were clean and well cared for. There is also a small flock of laying hens.

Since Coos and Cheshire counties sold their dairy herds earlier this year, the Grafton County Farm is the last in the state to maintain commercial livestock operations. However, a small herd of five pigs can be found at the Carroll County Farm. Rumor has it that two state legislators and the farm manager purchased the pigs—part of the agreement allowing the venture to go forward.

Lorraine Merrill, Commissioner
(reprinted from the Weekly Market Bulletin published by the Department of Agriculture, Markets, & Food, Aug. 31, 2011)