Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
The unthinkable (ripe Alaska walnuts) a few decades ago is potentially our new reality as our climate continues to shift (warmer summers and longer falls). As our climatic parameters shift, so does our opportunity to diversify our edible plantings!
"To grow tomatoes you need eight hours of sunlight each day. Not a problem. But you also need 3-4 months of warm temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the problem."
On another year, Christy might just now be finishing up the harvest. But today, the only flowers left from this season are stored in a walk-in cooler.
“The growth-cycle this year is unprecedented,” with carrots, peas and broccoli heads “as big as a platter,” farmers market vendors say.
The state's small farms are booming amid longer growing seasons and thriving farmers markets. But climate change has also made for less predictable weather.
A one-two punch of mid-May snow followed by a six-week drought cut the supply of Alaska-grown hay from Homer to Fairbanks by a third to a half, state Division of Agriculture officials say.
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