The high temperatures, lack of precipitation and record-low snowpack level in the state are leaving some agriculturists on the Front Range fearful of what the upcoming season may bring.
Off Beet Farm is a vegetable farm a short drive from Gunbarrel Avenue in Boulder County that produces around 80 types of vegetables on about three acres of land, according to its co-owner, Emmy Bender. Off Beet's produce can be found at the farmers market in Boulder, sometimes through November — but Bender said she's unsure of what the market season will look like with the hot and dry weather.
"It's pretty scary, to be honest. Normally, we time transplanting and seeding crops alongside weather like rain or snow events so we're not having to use any well water to irrigate," she said. "This year, obviously, there's just (not enough) moisture."
At Off Beet, they use low-tilling methods to preserve soil structure and maintain moisture to reduce the need for irrigation, Bender said, and they plant vegetables that don't require frequent watering. Still, the extreme conditions have raised the risk of the farm running out of water.
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