by Lynette Fortson

Courtesy of the Coppell Farmers Market Newsletter

Ever wonder why some farmers are at the market some weeks and not others? Weather, water, and pests (winged and four footed) effect all our farmers, but since our vendors are scattered up to 150 miles in all directions from the Coppell Farmers Market, they may be effected differently.

Weather - Most farmers plant with the last average freeze date in mind. This year, some farmers' tomato plantings were frozen out 2 or three times. Frost cloth might help a small plot but a planting of 500 tomatoes is lost. If you've noticed early veggies some years, that's because farmers also gamble that they won't get a freeze and then they'll have plenty of early tomatoes (for example) for our market.

East of the Metroplex in blueberry country, varieties were impacted differently. Flowering is a critical time for those plants as they can't tolerate a temperature below 30 degrees. An early bearing variety in flower during the last freeze that reached down to 27 degrees produced only a few scattered berries. Other varieties that set blooms after the freeze were not effected. Those are the berries we'll be seeing this week.

Greenhouses may help, but they are susceptible to hail damage, the weight of snow, and even power outages. For example, all of Elliott Grows' hydroponic plants were lost due to a power outage. They'll return in late June or early July.

Pests - Grasshoppers can strip an entire tree in a day, then move on to the next one. Some farmers may only use organic techniques, but all are still susceptible to insect infestations. Other farmers may feel forced to use pesticides, though most use them judiciously if at all. They're feeding their own families, too, after all!  Bunnies love to eat lettuce and other foliage, so one way to combat them is bunny proof fencing. It is more expensive than livestock fencing but is a humane way to stop the problem. Some farmers plant outlying crops for the deer and such like, so they will not venture into market crops.

Water concerns will be addressed another time . . .