Last winters erratic weather caused plenty of mischief for
farmers in the north country. Sheets of ice made fields look
like skating rinks, and crops were exposed to harmful cycles of
freezing and thawing. So, with another winter fast approaching,
farmers hope Mother Nature delivers normal temperatures with
plenty of snow, said Michael E. Hunter, field crops educator at
the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. Winter
crops planted this fall such as wheat, rye and triticale grain,
as well as mature alfalfa hay crops, must be buffered from the
elements. A cold winter with adequate snowfall is what we need,
Mr. Hunter said. Six to 8 inches of snowfall acts as a blanket
of insulation that protects crops from fluctuations in
temperatures. We dont want a lot of ice buildup and sheets it
shuts off the oxygen and crops suffer. And when it melts, all of
the standing groundwater prevents growth in the spring. Last
winter, temperatures in January and February swung high and low
like a pendulum. Through Jan