Challenges for local farms amidst unpredictable weather

SHELBURNE FALLS, Mass. (WWLP) – It has been a very difficult year for local farmers, with extreme weather events limiting certain types of produce.

At Hager’s Farm Market in Shelburne Falls, it’s been a difficult path to this point of the year. Owner, Kim Stevens, telling 22News, “Our Pumpkin fields kind of drowned so we didn’t end up with a lot of pumpkins ourselves so we’re having to source them in. We lost our entire peach crop, we lost a lot of vegetables, a lot of our apples. So it certainly has been a challenge.”

There’s a limited supply of some produce and increased prices on other’s but customers are still supporting this local business that has been struggling much like farms throughout the region. But even with the farms struggles, Hager’s farm has seen consistent business this fall and they’ve needed it.

And not only is the fall important to Hager’s because it’s the busy season that helps them last through the slow winter, but it’s also helping them salvage what was a tough summer. “August, September, and October are our busiest months so we do the majority of our business in the fall so we’re tending to draw a lot more people to the area which has been great,” said Stevens.

Some customer’s at the farm told us that no matter what, it’s an annual tradition to come to Hager’s Farm in the fall. Stevens added that as the fall foliage brings in tourists to the area, she continues to expect an influx of business.