CHARLOTTE, Vt. (WCAX) – People are spending their time out in the sun, searching through the berry fields.
Picking blueberries, and tossing them into their buckets.
“I have only eaten nearly every single time I picked one. They are so delicious,” said berry picker Kristina Sickmueller
Sickmueller has been picking berries at Adams berry farm for over six years now.
She says she loves the variety of berries every time she goes.
But she worries for the future of berry picking, with the recent change in the weather.
“I mean the community effort is really amazing, but it is really sad having these places impacted so hard by these natural disasters. I don’t know what the best way is to try and combat that is,” said Sickmueller.
Learning to work with the changing climate is exactly what Adams berry farm has been working on.
During the recent July floods the farm received seven inches of water. So much so that some plants began to grow faster than normal.
The constant rain and flashes of heat have created saturated fields, dying plants and are changing the flow of the berry season.
Causing the farm to try new ways to keep their berry plants sustainable.
“When it’s dry, that’s a big thing. You know, that we have enough water to continually irrigate. We have put up a number of high tunnels. Which are green houses that protect the crop. From both swings in temperature, but also from rain as well,” said farm owner Adam Hausmann
Hausmann says he’s worried for himself and other farms that are going through the same thing.
“When I talked about soil saturation and things like that. It’s a real concern. What we are seeing is all extremes, everything is coming,” said Hausmann
Despite the challenges during peak season everyone is enjoying the blueberries.
“They are great, super hot out. But, there are still so many, really tasty. Super sweet. So we are actually going to make a blueberry pie,” said berry picker Ingrid Klinkenberg.