Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. X I I M AY 2 7 , 2 0 2 4 16 L O C A L LY G ROW N T he latest version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plant hardiness map illustrates a notably warmer shift in Maine's coldest extreme minimum temperature since the last published update in 2012. While that might not be news to Maine farmers, the data helps in more intrinsic ways, observers suggest. Shane Patrick, the owner of Pleasant Pond Orchard in Richmond, jokes that climate change has made it easier for him to enjoy Maine-grown peaches, despite the total loss of the crop last year in the state. But "if I could have four distinct seasons and not grow peaches in Maine, I'd be OK with that," says Patrick. at's because the changing climate doesn't hold much benefit for Patrick's apple orchard. Just last year, he recalls, unprecedented April heat preceded a May cold snap, devastating his apple crop. He says such a harsh May freeze has only happened seven times in Maine. at destroyed much of his harvest. In a typical year, Patrick, who is on the executive committee of the Maine Pomological Society, estimates his roughly 700 apple trees would typically turn around 2,100 bushels of the fruit. Instead, the farm "lost basically everything," only yielding 11 bushels. Rising temps About two-thirds of the state has slid to a warmer half zone since that last edition in 2012, according to Christopher Daly, the founding director of Oregon State University's PRISM Climate Group, which does the actual map update. Across the state, from Houlton to Augusta to Portland, the map shows numerous ZIP codes that have experienced 3-degree rises in their coldest mini- mum temperatures between 2012 and 2023. Some ZIP codes notched larger jumps. Cape Elizabeth and Fort Kent, for example, both saw a 5-degree rise over that same time, according to the map. At first glance, that might not seem like a huge change. But for some growers, it's enough to shift the winter weather conditions they need for a suc- cessful harvest. Take the maple industry, for example. Sugar maples have "very shallow, very sensitive roots" that require a good, insulating snowpack to protect them from shear- ing off, according to Jason Lilley, maple industry educa- tor at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. "We're not getting as cold as we have histori- cally, which means we're having more winter rainfall events, fewer winter snowfall events," he says. "We P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Shane Patrick, the owner of Pleasant Pond Orchard in Richmond, says in jest that climate change has made it easier for him to enjoy Maine-grown peaches. F O C U S We're not getting as cold as we have historically, which means we're having more winter rainfall events, fewer winter snowfall events. We aren't having enough of a protective layer over the soil like we've had in the past. — Jason Lilley UMaine Cooperative Extension USDA's plant hardiness map update reflects what Maine farmers already know B y B r i d g e t R e e d M o r a w s k i HOTTER It's getting

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