Farmer Dieter Dudy has noticed some of his produce like tomatoes and peppers have struggled in the cooler conditions (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

COOL SPRING

Unseasonably cool spring impacting farmers’ crops in Kamloops

May 18, 2022 | 3:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been an unseasonably cold spring in Kamloops, a fact many do not like as we await the warmer temperatures. However, the people like farmers who rely on mother nature to make a living are becoming more worried.

Dieter Dudy is in the process of planting lettuce, one of the few crops that are actually thriving at his Westsyde farm amidst cooler spring temperatures.

“We have lettuces that do extremely well in this weather. Peas do really well, they enjoy this,” said Dudy, who owns Thistle Farms on Dairy Road in Westsyde. “My garlic went in last October and it’s doing incredibly well, but they don’t mind cold temperatures.”

The silver lining of thriving lettuce, peas and garlic is small compared to produce like tomatoes, peppers and squash that are struggling in temperatures that have remained mostly in the mid-teens in May.

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“Peppers and tomatoes, for instance, will actually stop growing until it reaches a certain temperature again,” said Dudy. “With peppers, if anything goes below 13°C, they won’t grow.”

Even though his tomatoes are in a greenhouse, they haven’t been given enough warmth to grow — only getting to a couple inches compared to feet at this time of year. It’s something Dudy has never seen before.

It’s all thanks to this unseasonably cold spring, where temperatures some days have been up to eight degrees colder than normal.

“The average day-time high for Kamloops is 22°C at this time of year, so to only get into the mid-teens is certainly noticeable,” said meteorologist Armel Castellan from Environment Canada. “I think people will notice it especially today with a big southwesterly push. We’ve got this big storm tracking over southern B.C. right now.”

Dudy says he’s not worried too much at the moment, but says if this unseasonable weather persists his crops might be in trouble.

“If we go well into June with the weather staying this way, it’s going to impact my production in a very serious way,” he noted. “It could be that we have green tomatoes in September.”

He is hoping Mother Nature turns the tides. Environment Canada says temperatures in B.C. should be back above the 20-degree mark next week, but may not come to the Interior.

“Right now, we’ll have to look at [the modelling] again over the next couple days into the weekend to see if indeed a ridge of high pressure is strong enough to poke north, deep enough into continental Canada to see if we can get that warmth.”