LONGMONT, Colo. — A Longmont farmer is finding both opportunity and trepidation in the latest round of spring snow, working quickly to protect vulnerable crops while taking advantage of the consistent moisture.
Adam Jones runs Unsung Family Farm in Longmont, growing greens, root crops, tomatoes and specialty micro greens for farmers markets and restaurants in the Denver area.
With snow falling, Jones moved his more delicate plants indoors just in time.
“The heater got put in yesterday. So, just perfect timing,” Jones said.
His goal now is to keep those plants on track until conditions improve.
“Keeping them happy and… not slowing down their growth, so we can put them back outside when it’s nice again, and get off to the races,” Jones said.
Not all of his crops are sheltered. Some are still in the field, where Jones says the snow is actually working in his favor — providing the kind of steady, even moisture that irrigation systems can’t replicate.
“You can’t get as even distribution with drop lines or sprinklers,” he said. “There’s nothing like starting seeds with snow or water.”
Jones even planted new rows of carrot seeds in the days before the storm to prepare for the weather.
“It’s just taking advantage of this moisture,” Jones said.
But the snow comes with limits. Too much of it creates its own set of problems.
“We’re not necessarily too ready for six inches of heavy snow, or even the inch and a half of heavy snow that fell this morning,” Jones said.
The weight of the snow collapsed some of the low tunnels Jones uses to shield crops from freezing temperatures, putting him in a difficult position.
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“A lot of our low tunnels out here in the field started to smash the crops,” he said. “It’s a fine line of either smashing the crops or freezing the crops.”
Despite the challenges, Jones says unpredictability is simply part of the job.
“There’s a lot of playing it by ear every day,” Jones said.
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