Cache Valley farmers concerned about unusual weather

This has been an unusual year and in fact, when it comes to agriculture, Clark Israelsen has never seen a year that can compare. Israelsen is the Utah State University Agricultural Extension Agent for Cache County and he is also an eternal optimist.

He says it has been a perfect time for new lambs and calves to be born because they really love the sunshine.

Although livestock has done well there is real concern about the amount of snowpack in the mountains.

“First of all we don’t have nearly enough,” Israelsen says. “Secondly, it is already starting to melt. There is quite a bit of concern what our irrigation supply will look like this summer.

“We’re still confident we’ll be blessed with good storms and we’ll have enough snowpack up there to take care of our needs going forward. But yes, there is a concern right now.”

He says we are going to need a lot of snow between now and the first of May. Interestingly, Israelsen says some growers on both sides of the valley have planted spring wheat while that normally doesn’t happen until April.

While there is some concern that it will turn cold and and there could be some crop loss, Israelsen says we also know that nothing will grow if it is not in the ground.

As far as water goes, he says unfortunately we need about double the amount that we have right now.

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