Long hot days at the beach don’t always mesh well with the weather needed to produce good, locally-grown tomatoes and berries.
The July forecast will give us one, but not the other.
Hot and humid is how it’s been so far, but that could change this month. Environment Canada is calling for temperatures hovering around the 26C mark, with less humidity.
“I don’t like the humidity,” says Barrie resident Laurie Saunders. “You don’t have much energy to do anything and you pretty much have to stay indoors with the air conditioning.”
And while the forecast means fewer smog days, Environment Canada also says July will have more rain than normal. This forecast is good news for farmers who are looking to rebound from last summer’s drought.
“Last year, the strawberries and tomatoes really suffered,” says Bryan Ego. “Any of the fruit crops need that rain.”
Last summer’s dry weather left Ego with smaller than average-sized fruits and vegetables. He says news of a wet July is promising for the season, as long as the rain comes in moderation.
“A certain amount of rain is helpful for the crops,” he says. “Too much rain can cause flooding and all sorts of damage. It’s all a matter of balance.”
Balance is also what Charlie Renaud is hoping for, but the livestock farmer will take whatever rain will fall this month for hay.
“The extra rain will actually help the crop and gives us much more of a second cut,” he says, “then we need dry periods to harvest several days at a time."
