'Daily Hampshire Gazette' Speaks with Jon Clements on Farmers' Adaptation to Extreme Weather

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In recent years, an increasing number of farmers have been adopting advanced machinery and innovative techniques to safeguard their crops against the growing challenges of unpredictable weather. This includes managing heightened moisture levels, sudden temperature drops, and milder winters. To understand how this unpredictability is affecting local farmers, the Daily Hampshire Gazette recently spoke with Jon Clements, extension fruit team leader at the UMass Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, and other experts to discuss common issues.

"Jon Clements, an extension tree fruit specialist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who specializes in apples, said significant fluctuations in temperature are harmful to perennial plants and fruit trees that are outside year-round. 'We want the apple trees to go to sleep during the winter,' Clements said. 'With milder winters, the apple trees may wake up a little early, and then if we get a significant cold in the spring that subjects it to freeze damage. That’s arguably kind of what happened last year.'"

— The Daily Hampshire Gazette

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