WEEK XI
July 21 to 23
This summer has been an anomaly of high temperatures across most of our province. As a result, many municipalities have place restrictions on the use of water in general, with most cities going into phase 3, even phase 4 (no residential garden watering whatsoever in the Sunshine Coast).
All predictions point to the fact that this anomaly will become the norm in the near future, not the exception.
In our small corner of the farming world, we need to look at the results from this growing season in the context of these weather anomalies, for example, yield in the terraces has been equivalent according to Dr. Bomford, to what would be expected in a farm setting. Failures or short comings in this case, could be attributed to poor nutrient content in the soil, sandy conditions, issues with the irrigation systems, etc. Nevertheless, once the final harvest reports and results start coming from the front lines, the rest of the farms in the Lower Mainland, we need to take a closer view and re-calibrate the analysis of our own final yields. Early stories form across the province speak at germination failures, plants with stunt growth, crops such as peas and carrots not performing as usual, grapes and berries being ready three weeks before their usual date. Even wine makers in the Okanagan are concern because the concentration of secondary metabolites in the grapes are completely different this year the they have ever been before and they don't know how this is going to impact wine making this year. In 2003 the fires in the Okanagan wine region affected the taste of the wine, since there was enough ash on the skins of the grape to make it noticeable.
It will be interesting to read the reports.
All predictions point to the fact that this anomaly will become the norm in the near future, not the exception.
In our small corner of the farming world, we need to look at the results from this growing season in the context of these weather anomalies, for example, yield in the terraces has been equivalent according to Dr. Bomford, to what would be expected in a farm setting. Failures or short comings in this case, could be attributed to poor nutrient content in the soil, sandy conditions, issues with the irrigation systems, etc. Nevertheless, once the final harvest reports and results start coming from the front lines, the rest of the farms in the Lower Mainland, we need to take a closer view and re-calibrate the analysis of our own final yields. Early stories form across the province speak at germination failures, plants with stunt growth, crops such as peas and carrots not performing as usual, grapes and berries being ready three weeks before their usual date. Even wine makers in the Okanagan are concern because the concentration of secondary metabolites in the grapes are completely different this year the they have ever been before and they don't know how this is going to impact wine making this year. In 2003 the fires in the Okanagan wine region affected the taste of the wine, since there was enough ash on the skins of the grape to make it noticeable.
It will be interesting to read the reports.
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| From Jackson Triggs Okanagan Estate Website |
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