Farmers scramble to protect crops after unpredictable 'fake spring' disrupts growing season: 'We can lose our entire crop'

Early warm weather has Denver Downs Farm in South Carolina planting their summer crops early. But while this adaptation to our changing environment is actually beneficial for some crops, it poses a significant threat to others.

What's happening?

Unpredictable weather in recent years has left farmers scrambling to adjust. One way they're doing this is by planting during unseasonably warm periods in early spring, as reported by WSPA. This phenomenon is referred to as "fake spring" by some, and it's nothing new. However, these fake springs are becoming more frequent as the planet warms.

Denver Downs Farm's big crops include corn as well as flowers like lavender, mums, and sunflowers. Early planting can prove beneficial for these crops, if still a little inconvenient for scheduling purposes, but it's not nearly as advantageous for crops like peaches.

"Once you initiate that growing season for a peach, the more that we get into bloom and early fruiting stage, we can get killed by freeze," county extension agent Andy Rollins told WSPA. "We can lose our entire crop with peaches because we only have one flower bud that's set so it doesn't really make new flower buds within the season."

Should the warmer weather suddenly drop, then peach crops can suffer significantly.

Why is adapting to unpredictable weather important?

While it would be ideal to avoid the effects of our changing environment entirely, that's simply not realistic. The next best thing, then, is to find ways to adapt.

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Many farmers are struggling to do that right now, but those who find a way will not only protect their finances but also our food supply. The good news is that humans are remarkably proficient at adapting, and we've been doing it for hundreds of thousands of years.

What's being done about unpredictable weather's impact on agriculture?

There's more good news, too. Researchers and scientists are working on ways to adapt to our changing environment to protect our food supply.

A technology was recently developed that can harvest proteins and vitamins from microbes by feeding them hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. This could vastly improve the efficiency of agriculture.

Another recent breakthrough was the discovery of a way to make crops more tolerant to salinity-heavy soil, which was a significant boost as we seek ways to continue producing food amid worsening soil conditions.