Dark clouds hovered overhead all day in Simcoe County, but for some, it was a welcome sight.
“I did a little happy dance around the house, and I told my husband ‘it’s raining!’” says vegetable farmer Avia Eek.
The Holland Marsh grower says Mother Nature isn’t always the easiest business partner to work with, but today has been a good day.
“This kind of rain is steady, it’s gentle. The water has a chance to soak into the soil, it’s not running off,” says Eek.
Too much rain can be harmful, and if it’s early enough in the ground season, too much wind can be a major cause for concern, too.
“That can make a carrot crooked, and there’s nothing wrong with the carrot, but the Ontario food produce standards say the carrot has to be straight. So, those would be carrots that we wouldn’t be able to sell,” says Eek.
The rain gauge at Eek Farms caught half an inch of rain by noon on Sunday, that’s roughly 12 millimetres.
The rain, however, isn’t desirable for all growers across the region.
Down the road at Holland Marsh Winery, last week’s hot and dry conditions were perfect.
“I know a lot of people are going to hate me saying that, but for vines, that’s exactly what we want,” says Norie Nersisyan.
The operations manager for the winery says a little rain is fine, but red wine specifically loves the sunshine, and this year could be a vintage year.
