SYRACUSE -- Cabbages normally go into the ground in the beginning of April at the Black Island Farm, but the consistently wet, cold weather has delayed the planting season.
"Every year is different, and every year has its problems," Black Island Farms manager Charlie Black said Wednesday.
Black and other farmers in the area have had to readjust their schedules to deal with the weather. Many face shorter seasons, going from about 180 days to 150. The wet weather could mean smaller crops, smaller yields or even crops that never make it into the earth.
At Black Island, the weather pushed back planting of carrots, lettuce and other produce a couple of weeks, Black said, which will push harvest back a little as well.
"The longer it goes, the worse it will be," he said, "but right now we'll just have a little bit later harvest this year, but nothing we can't work with."
Utah State University Box Elder Extension Agent Michael Pace said seed bags sit waiting in shops and barns throughout the area.
"They are just waiting for the weather to get warm, so they can plant," Pace said.
Farmers must wait for the ground to dry naturally. If the seed goes into too-wet soil, Pace said, it just sits and rots.
Onions, for instance, are normally planted around March 15, but they are barely going in now, while much of the acreage normally reserved for onions sits empty.
"Right now we're still sitting with half of those acres completely unplanted," Pace said.
Small grains such as spring wheat, barley and oats also have to wait for improved weather conditions.
Seeds are not the only thing affected by the wet ground.
Running tractors across the muddy fields can hurt the field. Pace said the weight of the vehicles compacts the soil, making the earth too hard for plants to grow.
The bees do not buzz as much in the cold and wet weather, either. Apricots and cherries are now in bloom, but they need the bees to complete the pollination process.
Pace said the hope is for really nice summer temperatures to give the plants enough time to catch up.
Along with the shorter season, farmers face higher expenses, especially the rising prices of fuel and fertilizer. Every time a farm tractor makes a pass across a field to till, fertilize or spray for bugs, it uses a lot of fuel.
But the news is not all bad; there is a positive side to the continuous rains.
Black said reservoirs are finally full and the ground water is recharged.
However, even the bad weather will not stop farmers from at least attempting to grow their produce.
"They will still try to plant as much as they can," Pace said. "They have to: That's how they pay the bills."
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