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BROOKSVILLE, Ky. — <\/span>Even as the sun started to set, the day’s heat was still hanging in the air as Annie Woods walked back out to harvest squash and zucchini on her 50-acre farm.<\/p>\n Prolonged and intense heat is part of a climate change-driven pattern of weather extremes that has also led to intense flooding<\/a> and prolonged drought<\/a>. For farmers, this means shorter planting windows<\/a> and potential loss of crops because of periods of early-season heat followed by a freeze<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s pretty safe to assume these kind of heat waves aren\u2019t going away or they\u2019re not freak occurrences,\u201d Woods said.<\/p>\n The recent heat dome<\/a>, a high-pressure weather system that traps heat and humidity over a region, affected some specialty farmers who produce crops of fruits and vegetables. Human-driven climate change also has brought more intense heat waves<\/a> and other extreme weather.<\/p>\n These specialty farmers have found ways to adapt, in part by adjusting their harvest schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day. But they don\u2019t always have access to the same safety net as farmers of traditional commodity crops such as corn and soybeans when extreme weather hits, experts say.<\/p>\n The heat and humidity that comes with a heat dome can be dangerous for farmworkers and is a \u201cserious threat to human health,\u201d said Melissa Widhalm, the associate director at the Midwest Regional Climate Center in West Lafayette, Indiana.<\/p>\n Woods works in the coolest parts of the day in the morning and evening, taking frequent water breaks. She plants and harvests by hand, unlike larger farms that often rely on machinery. If it gets too hot and she has to harvest, she pitches a tent she uses for farmer’s markets in the fields to create some shade. <\/p>\n Extreme heat coupled with periods of rain and high humidity, can also bring diseases and other pests that can destroy crops. Right now the priority is harvesting those most-vulnerable crops, such as tender salad greens. Woods grows vegetables<\/a> and culinary herbs for restaurants in the region and for a community supported agriculture program. Harvesting crops when it’s too hot outside can affect their quality, she said.<\/p>\n She’s also concerned that for the health of her the seedlings that will grow into fall crops. Right now, Woods keeps her seedlings in an enclosed cabinet inside a barn where it’s cooler. Once they’ve germinated, she moves them into a greenhouse with fans running to keep temperatures manageable.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to do a lot checking on the greenhouse and watering frequently to keep those teeny tiny plants alive,\u201d Woods said.<\/p>\n For some growers, the recent heat also has shortened the harvest window for certain specialty crops.<\/p>\n For Paul Rasch, who owns and operates multiple fruit orchards<\/a> in central Iowa, the heat has forced his crew of eight workers to step up harvesting of raspberries. Normally, they’d have about three weeks to harvest this perishable fruit, but \u201cwe\u2019re scrambling to pick as many as we can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n They’ve started harvesting as early as 6 a.m. some mornings to finish before noon when it gets too hot and unsafe to work. He’s also installed air conditioning inside buildings and is adding shade outdoors with trees and covered pavilions so customers coming to pick their own fruit can stay cool. And he’s testing a few high tunnels so he can keep conditions more consistent for certain crops.<\/p>\n Rasch said that it seems like these heat events are becoming more common, more intense and lasting longer. These events, along with floods, drought and late-spring frosts are all worrisome and can adversely affect crops throughout the year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t ever seem to have a typical year anymore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Smaller farms like Woods’ and Rasch’s often plant and harvest a wide variety of crops throughout the year. Part of that is a business decision, but it’s also to protect against losses that might impact one crop, but not others.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re always gonna have something that will thrive while other things might be more challenged,\u201d Woods said.<\/p>\n Rasch also said that crop insurance for specialty crop farmers is different than for commodity farmers. They’re more vulnerable to extreme weather, but they aren’t as protected, he said. Woods, who also works with the Organic Association of Kentucky, agrees and said she knows farmers like her who have a difficult time accessing insurance because they farm such a wide range of crops on small acreage. <\/p>\n And that’s because federal crop insurance programs are designed to insure single crops with one growing season, like corn, soybean and wheat, said Duncan Orlander, a policy specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.<\/p>\n For smaller specialty crop farmers, the paperwork required to cover a larger range of crops on small acreage can be too burdensome and coverage for certain specialty crops may not even be available in certain places. Crop insurers are also disincentivized to sell policies with small premiums and potential payouts, he added. <\/p>\n And although there are federal programs that cover a farm’s revenue rather than their specific crops, Orlander said these policies are complicated and widely underutilized.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not keeping up with the losses and the extreme weather that we\u2019re seeing,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we have to think a little bit differently about how we are going to mitigate risk and cover losses into the future when these things occur.\u201d<\/p>\n For Woods, the community supported agriculture program she runs gives her flexibility in case one crop fails. Her customers are supporting the farm for the season regardless of what vegetables end up in their boxes. That program and her crop diversity is one way she \u201chedges our bets\u201d against heat, floods and drought.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s something you have to be aware of and plan for and have a plan to be resilient in the face of these kind of events,\u201d Woods said.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a> and X<\/a> @joshuabickel.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press\u2019 climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP\u2019s standards<\/a> for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n