Our farm is trying to adapt to climate disruption. Can you help?

It’s been a fairly dry spring. The only signifiant rain that has fallen came pretty much all at once early in April. Over four days nearly four inches fell. During that time the Long Prairie River almost reached flood stage and then went back to normal. It seems that heavy rainfall over short periods, followed by flooding that quickly recedes, is becoming normal. In the last few years more and more rainfall has come to us in big storms of two, three, and four inches at a time. Rainfall like that hardly ever happened when we were kids. Of course kids aren’t going to believe old-timers when we say that it rains a lot harder than it used to. But, it turns out, there’s plenty of data to back up old timers claims about more intense rainfall. In fact, extreme precipitation has increased in nearly every region of the United States since the start of the 20th century, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Those extreme precipitation events have increased more in Minnesota, and the Midwest, than in any other region of the country, according to weather records going back to 1901. Those heavy two and three inch rainfalls have increased by forty-eight percent in Minnesota since that time. And, it seems, they’ve become even more common in the last twenty years. Last July 8th we had three and a half inches of rain. Then, on the 17th three and eight-tenths of an inch fell. Less than a month later, on August 12th, two and one-tenth inches fell and that was followed two days later by an incredible five and sixth-tenths inch down pour. That’s fifteen inches of rain in less than five weeks. Rainfall was plentiful, but fairly normal, in 2019 except for a four and a half inch rainfall on September 30th. 2018 was not normal. That year, in June, fourteen and a half inches inundated our field. Nearly five inches fell on June 16th and 17th. It’s hard to raise our vegetable crops under conditions like this. On several occasions in the last five years we’ve had foot high waves of water come rushing off the saturated forested hills and into our field. The water has flattened young crops, covered them with mud, and eroded our precious top soil. We’re working to adapt to theses extreme rainfalls. That’s what farmers do. We think the solution is to keep the water as close to where it falls as possible. We have built a dam to hold the water in the woods. We have a wide grassy strip between the woods and the field to absorb what comes out of the woods. And we’re using sheep grazing techniques to increase the water holding capacity of the soil under that grassy strip. I know other farmers are trying to adapt just like we are. I hope that we can continue to do so so as to keep providing food to our customers. But all of us are asking ourselves, “where are the extreme rainfalls come from?” Climate scientists say average air temperatures have been rising and that warmer air holds more moisture. They also point out something we all know: Warmer air causes more evaporation from the soil and more transpiration from plants. So, that all adds up to more extreme rain storms. That seems like a reasonable explanation to me. And, as I said, I’m willing to do my part so people have enough to eat. But I really wish more people would lend a hand. We all know that these warmer air temperatures are caused largely by our obsession with traveling as far and as fast and as much as possible. So, when people celebrate the winding down of the pandemic by jetting off to some vacation spot or business meeting don’t be surprised if I’m not celebrating with you. I’m too busy doing what I can to protect my fields from the next five inch rain fall.