Warm Weather Making Farmers Take a Gamble
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Many west Tennessee farmers are taking advantage of the early onset of spring and getting their plants in the ground early this year. Watermelon and cantaloupe farmers at Anderson Farm said they are planting their crops this weekend, which is three weeks earlier than normal. They told 7 Eyewitness News it is the earliest they have ever been able to plant because of the record breaking warm temperatures. However, they also know they are taking the risk that there is still a good chance for a cold snap this spring. A frost could potentially kill their crop. But they aim to have as many watermelons harvested before the 4th of July, and they said the weather is their golden opportunity. “It’ll help us because we usually have watermelons and cantaloupes around the fourth weekend but this year we’re very well likely to have them before the fourth, because of such a early spring we’ve had. So it’s gonna help us this year,” said farmer Chad Anderson. Anderson told 7 Eyewitness News they have methods for protecting their plants against light frosts. If the weather holds, Anderson expects their crops should be ready for harvest and sale by mid to late June.
