Farmers welcome rain and snowpack despite potential impacts on crops

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A light breeze and warmer temperatures in Tulare County on Friday are a welcome sight for farmers.

After dark clouds and rain covered the valley floor on Thursday.

"The almonds are partially blooming right now so it's not the best time for the almonds when it rains.. But we will always take the rain and we will definitely take the snow," said Tulare farmer Ron Clark.

Clark farms almonds, pistachios, cotton, corn, hay and wheat.

The changing weather means thinking ahead and planning for his crops.

"It's actually beneficial for the wheat right now. We just put fertilizer on and it'll take the fertilizer in," said Clark.

Clark says this year there has been a shortage of bees and cold temperatures and wet weather keep them from flying.

The light breeze and slowly warming temperatures into the weekend are helpful to help increase bee movement and pollination.

"Every year is different and you just have to be prepared for it and you can't worry about the things you can't control so we just try to be able to adapt to the weather when it comes, because there's nothing you can do about it," Clark said.

Rainstorms sometimes mean muddy fields and pausing some outdoor operations involving crews or heavy machinery.

However, the Tulare County Farm Bureau executive director, Tricia Stever Blattler, says there is always work to be done on a farm.

"There is always routine maintenance. There's safety training. There's mechanical work that needs to be done around shops," explained Stever Blattler.

"I think a lot of ag employees are working on equipment, or maybe doing some maintenance activities at farms and ranch businesses,"

Farmers say the current crops blooming are almonds.

In about a month, cherries and pistachios will start to bloom.

Tomato harvesting season will also kick off in about a month.

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