Climate change and your farm - learn about the basics and what it means for your location.

As I am starting to think about long term plans for our little 12 acres in Maine, I decided I needed to know what was going to happen here with climate change! In doing so I had to try and boil all the information down so I could understand the basics and work out how to put that information into my long term planning.

Here is what I found out - and how you can find out more about what climate change is going to plan for you farm.

http://www.almostafarmer.com/climate-change-and-your-farm/

I hope people will find this useful!

Gaz
www.almostafarmer.com

Good find, Gaz!

I'm adapting. Since the dry spells are longer, and of unpredictable length, I have some drought tolerant plantings and I make it a point to water. And if we get a month with 12" of rain, I'm prepared for that too -- tropical crops that don't mind getting flooded. One way or the other, there will be something to harvest.

Right now, even the drought tolerant plants are looking stressed. I wonder when the 40 days and 40 nights of "liquid sunshine" will show up.

John Elliott wrote:Good find, Gaz!

I'm adapting. Since the dry spells are longer, and of unpredictable length, I have some drought tolerant plantings and I make it a point to water. And if we get a month with 12" of rain, I'm prepared for that too -- tropical crops that don't mind getting flooded. One way or the other, there will be something to harvest.

Right now, even the drought tolerant plants are looking stressed. I wonder when the 40 days and 40 nights of "liquid sunshine" will show up.

I have to feel sorry for the folks living in low lying areas around the planet - as climate change will mean sea level rise...and for them that equals flooding and loss of land

For me, I think we will shift into a range of weather being more manageable for homesteading for a longer period of time each year....and some plants that can't cope with months of snow may be able to be introduced and survive. The question for me is, when do I start planting those...and I am looking at seeing the real figures over the next ten years and see what things look like and then plant fruit trees etc.

The important thing is to know its happening - and work out a plan of action for your long-term adaptation.

Gaz
www.almostafarmer.com