Spring growing is about a month ahead of schedule at Full Circle Community Farm.
“The grass is growing really fast," said Andrew Adamski, farm owner. "We have scallions that grew over winter. The garlic is weeks ahead of where it was any other year.“
The Seymour farm grows all kinds of vegetables and beans and raises cows and pigs on pasture.
“You can never guess exactly when things are going to start," said Adamski. "So we’re trying to gauge, are the zucchini going to be ready in two weeks to go outside? Are the peppers going to be okay? Because, you know, we’re in Wisconsin. We might still get a snowstorm anytime."
The mild winter is great, in some ways, he said. But not in others.
“The apple blossoms are starting to bud, and that’s dangerous," said Adamski. "If we get a night where it’s down to freezing, we’re not going to have any apples or cherries this year.“
The pressure is on farmers, and that’s when accidents can happen.
“You can hear farm equipment running out late into the night, many, many nights of the summer," said Aerica Bjurstrom, Agriculture Agent for the University of Wisconsin Madisonu Extension in Kewaunee County. "So take some time, slow down, take care of yourself. If you feel tired, just take a break. Don’t make yourself think that, 'Man, I can’t even take a five minute break.' Take a five minute break.“
In 2017 there were 41 farming related deaths in the state, and there were 34 in 2018, according to the most recent Wisconsin farm fatalities report. In both years, almost a third of those deaths happened on public roadways. The spring planting season can be a dangerous time not just to farmers, but also to the general public who shares the roads with them, said Bjurstrom.
"I’m sure they see a lot of really scary things and a lot of really close calls," she said. "The important thing to remember is these are families. These are people with kids and husbands and wives and parents, and their life is just as important as anybody else’s, and so is yours as a motorist.“
For many farmers, alowing down is easier said than done.
“We have 1 million things to do," said Adamski. "We’re always thinking, 'Oh, once I’m done fixing this, I have to go do that.' And if your brain wanders, you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing in front of you. One slip is all it takes.“
The last year was a wake up call for many consumers though,
“This big supply chain is a little fragile," said Adamski. "The pandemic really brought that to the forefront. I think that’s a good thing.“
He believes more people are making the effort to support local farmers, and he’s looking forward to summer and beyond.
“I hope it brings about a healthy awareness of what the future needs to look like.“
