Ottawa’s record-breaking summer rainfall is creating a mixed growing season for farmers across the region, with some crops struggling with excess moisture while others have managed to thrive. More than 500 millimetres of rain has fallen in Ottawa this summer, making it the wettest summer on record. At the Carp Garlic Festival on Saturday, growers were showcasing their harvest after a season that forced some to work around persistent rain and humid conditions. Markus Ticknovich of Pax Tibi Farmstead says garlic needs rain at certain stages of its development, but timing is crucial. “When garlic wants rain, it definitely wants it. But when it doesn’t want it, it kind of makes it just as well known,” he said. Ticknovich says wet conditions around harvest can make it more difficult to get garlic out of the ground and properly dry and cure the bulbs. The damp conditions can also create an environment where mold can develop. Ticknovich estimates some varieties on his farm suffered losses of about 25 per cent to Fusarium mold. “Something that looked good when it came out of the ground is now showing some yellowing, some pulling away from the skin, definite signs of Fusarium mold,” he said. But even among garlic growers, the effects of this summer’s rainfall have varied. Blake Arbour of Ottawa Garlic says good drainage helped protect his crop from excessive moisture. “The land that I’m on, it’s just really well prepared. I’ve got excellent tile drainage, so the water didn’t stay and ruin my garlic,” Arbour said. “Fortunately for me, it wasn’t too much of an effect. I was lucky to be ready for it.” Other growers adjusted when and how they harvested. Celina Montigny of Garlic Goods says her garlic was harvested about two weeks earlier than usual. High humidity also meant additional airflow was needed while the bulbs cured. “There was a lot of humidity, so we had to put fans for flow of air,” she said. “It took a little bit longer to cure it because of the humidity.” The abundance of rain is a dramatic change from the dry conditions farmers faced last year. At the Westboro Farmers’ Market, Joseph Harrel of Ferme Du Beau Temps says raised beds have helped prevent his crops from flooding this summer, and overall, the growing season has been good. The challenge this year he says, has often been dealing with when and how quickly the rain arrives. Saturated fields can prevent farmers from getting tractors onto the land, while crops such as tomatoes can crack if they absorb too much water too quickly. That’s a very different problem from the one farmers were dealing with last year. “We have a pond that went down 20 feet last year,” Harrel said. “I know my neighbour was trucking in water until he couldn’t afford it anymore.” Harrel says his crops have generally fared well this summer, with periods of hot sunshine providing some balance between heavy rainfalls. For farmers, he says, the record rainfall has ultimately been a “mixed blessing.” Ticknovich shares that perspective. Despite losing some garlic to mold, he says plenty of other crops in his garden have responded well to the wetter conditions, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. And after last year’s drought, he isn’t complaining about the rain. “I have to be grateful for the weather no matter what it is,” Ticknovich said. “My cup is full, just as much as my rain gauges.” Farmers say adapting to the conditions has been key this season, whether that means closely monitoring crops, improving airflow and drainage or harvesting early to stay ahead of the next rainfall.
