State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 05/09/04 Issue NH-CW1904 Volume 23, Number 3 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) May 10, 2004 - 4 pm -- Agricultural Summary BREEZY AND COOL CONDITIONS For the week ending May 9, 2004, there were 5.6 days available for field work across New England. Topsoil moisture was rated three percent very short, five percent short, 74 percent adequate, 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated three percent very short, four percent short, 81 percent adequate, 12 percent surplus. Pasture condition was rated as one percent very poor, eight percent poor, 37 percent fair, 43 percent good, 11 percent excellent. Temperatures were cool and breezy during the week with scattered showers mixed in throughout the six- State region. Light snow fell in some Northern New Hampshire and Vermont locations on Tuesday. Cooler temperatures hampered planting in some locations as soil temperatures haven't warmed up enough to begin planting. Major farm activities included: planting early vegetables, sweet corn, and potatoes; spreading manure; preparing seed beds for planting; applying fertilizer; disking, pruning, plowing and fixing fences. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND --------------------------------------------- -- Percent -- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year --------------------------------------------- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 3 2 1 Short 5 6 4 Adequate 74 70 81 Surplus 18 22 14 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 3 3 4 Short 4 4 5 Adequate 81 81 83 Surplus 12 12 8 --------------------------------------------- -- Field Crops Report Pasture and hay fields continue to green as farmers lime and fertilize the fields. Rhode Island potato farmers remain at 25 percent planted, on schedule with last year but slightly behind the five year average. Massachusetts potato planting lags behind both last year and normal. Less than five percent of potatos were planted in Maine but grain farmers made good planting progress druing the week. -- Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report FRUIT: Apples and peach development ranged from bud to early bloom, with northern areas still in dormant stage. There were some reports of winter injury to some peach buds. Pear development ranged from early bloom to full bloom stage with conditions reported as good. Strawberries were put under row cover to protect from frost. Growers were busy applying protective sprays on fruit trees. Herbicide applications were applied to wild blueberry fields as burning winds down. Cranberry growers finished first application of herbicides and were spreading fertilizer. VEGETABLES: Early season vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, lettuce, potatoes, peas and radishes continued to be planted during the week. Asparagus, fiddleheads and rhubarb were harvested, and sweet corn under plastic and high tunnel tomatoes were doing well. -- Crop Progress Tables FIELD CROP PROGRESS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Planted -- Crop 2004 2003 5-yr Avg Condition ---------------------------------------------------- Barley, ME 15 0 20 Fair Oats, ME 15 0 15 Fair Potatoes Maine <5 0 10 Fair Mass 20 55 55 Fair Rhode Isl 25 25 55 Good Silage Corn 10 10 15 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 15 20 20 Good/Fair Tobacco Shade 0 0 0 -- Dry Hay First Cut 0 0 0 Good/Fair ----------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ----------------------------------------------------- Crop Stage Condition ----------------------------------------------------- Apples Bud/EB Fair/Good Peaches Bud/EB Fair/Poor Pears EB/FB Good Blueberries Highbush Bud/EB Fair/Good Wild Bud Good Cranberries,MA Bud Fair/Poor Strawberries Dormant/Bud Fair/Good ----------------------------------------------------- EB - Early Bloom, FB - Full Bloom -- Weather Summary For the week ending Sunday, May 9, 2004 ---------------------------------------------- AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI ---- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 24 84 50 +2 0.16 1.63 NH 10 81 50 +0 0.65 2.23 VT 20 83 48 -3 0.36 2.13 MA 27 87 54 +1 0.50 1.10 RI 33 86 54 +1 0.06 0.98 CT 29 85 54 -1 0.52 1.19 ---------------------------------------------- Copyright 2004: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -- Weather Information Table Weather Summary For New England Agricultural Statistics Service - Prepared By AWIS, Inc. For the Period: Monday May 3, 2004 To: Sunday May 9, 2004 AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAYS ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60F STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DFN ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- ---- MAINE Albion 28 79 51 -2 79 +32 22 +22 Allagash 25 77 45 -2 46 +37 8 +8 Augusta_State_A 34 75 52 +1 85 +45 14 +14 Bangor_Intl_Arp 31 73 52 +3 70 +44 12 +12 Barnard 30 81 51 +3 57 +39 16 +16 Bath 29 76 51 +0 47 +24 1 +1 Bethel 28 77 49 -2 84 +55 24 +24 Brassua_Dam 29 78 47 +3 40 +34 6 +6 Brunswick_ME 31 75 50 -1 56 +33 3 +3 Caribou_Municip 29 79 49 +2 62 +44 22 +22 Corinna 31 84 53 +4 77 +50 21 +21 Danforth 31 83 50 +2 51 +35 10 +10 Dover-Foxcroft 29 81 51 +3 52 +34 11 +11 Durham 28 77 51 -2 71 +31 9 +9 East_Hiram 29 77 51 +1 90 +61 26 +26 Eustis 30 81 48 +3 55 +47 15 +15 Frenchville 27 77 47 +2 53 +44 18 +18 Gray 35 77 54 +4 100 +77 18 +18 Greenville_ME 33 82 52 +4 86 +64 31 +31 Guilford 24 76 47 -2 35 +17 2 +2 Hollis 28 78 51 +2 93 +72 22 +22 Houlton 25 78 50 +3 56 +38 14 +14 Kennebunkport 29 78 50 -4 50 -1 2 +2 Livermore_Falls 25 81 51 +3 83 +65 21 +21 Moosehead 30 82 48 +4 50 +44 11 +11 New_Sharon 27 79 51 +4 73 +55 15 +15 Patten 30 80 49 +3 53 +35 15 +15 Portage 29 82 49 +2 59 +41 23 +23 Portland_ME 33 77 53 +3 79 +56 6 +6 Rangeley 27 79 47 +2 45 +37 5 +5 Sebec_Lake 29 84 51 +3 54 +32 11 +11 Vanceboro 31 76 50 +3 49 +36 9 +9 Waterville 32 77 51 -2 65 +18 10 +10 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 26 80 52 +0 103 +54 27 +27 Benton 29 75 49 -2 95 +50 29 +29 Berlin_AG 31 80 50 +2 93 +58 28 +28 Bethlehem 26 79 47 -4 75 +32 19 +19 Concord 29 79 56 +5 184 +135 55 +55 Diamond_Pond 25 77 48 +5 56 +46 7 +7 First_Conn_Lake 24 78 43 -3 32 +22 0 +0 Greenville 34 79 56 +5 143 +97 34 +34 Keene_AP 28 77 52 -3 137 +61 29 +22 Lakeport 34 77 53 +3 102 +64 23 +23 Marlow 27 73 48 -5 78 +19 13 +9 Mount_Washingto 10 50 30 -2 3 +3 0 +0 North_Conway 29 79 51 +0 103 +64 32 +32 Otter_Brook_Lk 30 76 51 -4 106 +30 23 +16 Plymouth 29 76 49 -2 80 +54 17 +17 Rochester 30 80 54 +2 123 +63 35 +33 Weare 33 78 53 +0 111 +52 26 +22 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 30 79 50 -2 100 +57 21 +21 Bethel 23 80 49 +0 101 +65 26 +26 Burlington_Intl 29 79 51 -3 133 +65 44 +37 East_Haven 27 80 48 +1 76 +57 20 +20 Island_Pond 26 75 47 -1 67 +44 13 +13 Montpelier 26 78 50 -1 112 +70 29 +29 Morrisville_AG 25 77 46 -4 70 +34 17 +17 Mount_Mansfield 20 57 37 -5 26 +22 0 +0 Northfield 27 77 49 +0 86 +57 21 +21 Pownal 29 72 47 -4 122 +75 27 +25 Rochester 28 77 48 -3 94 +58 24 +24 Rutland_AG 29 74 49 -6 107 +19 19 +8 Sunderland 27 74 47 -8 107 +20 16 +8 Sutton 25 74 46 -2 64 +45 19 +19 Townshend_Lake 30 83 51 -2 111 +50 25 +21 Union_Vill_Dam 27 76 50 -4 90 +27 24 +20 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 35 79 53 +3 116 +80 23 +23 Boston/Logan_In 40 84 58 +3 195 +104 58 +58 Greenfield 31 79 52 -4 130 +40 23 +18 New_Bedford 32 84 55 -1 119 +25 11 +11 Otis_AFB 37 73 55 +4 89 +51 7 +7 Plymouth 30 85 55 +4 122 +78 19 +19 Walpole 34 85 57 +4 166 +102 33 +33 West_Medway 31 85 57 +4 167 +103 37 +37 Chicopee/Westov 32 82 55 -3 197 +58 52 +41 Worcester 37 79 54 +3 158 +107 37 +37 Worthington 28 76 49 -2 100 +57 14 +14 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 36 86 56 +2 162 +86 28 +28 Woonsocket 33 85 56 +3 163 +103 39 +39 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 29 82 52 -6 129 +2 23 +12 Bridgeport/Siko 40 85 56 +2 156 +56 20 +13 Hartford/Bradle 33 85 55 -2 194 +75 45 +34 Norfolk 30 76 49 -3 120 +81 24 +24 Norwich 36 83 55 -1 138 +35 11 +3 Thomaston_Dam 30 82 54 +0 166 +92 31 +28 Willimantic 32 84 55 +2 172 +101 34 +32 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ----- ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 1.05 +0.21 3 3.46 +0.16 13 Allagash 0.70 +0.00 2 2.75 +0.17 10 Augusta_State_A 1.13 +0.22 2 3.62 +0.02 12 Bangor_Intl_Arp 1.13 +0.31 2 2.88 -0.27 12 Barnard 0.94 +0.10 3 3.34 -0.02 11 Bath 1.17 +0.33 2 3.76 +0.09 9 Bethel 1.40 +0.58 4 4.09 +0.75 11 Brassua_Dam 0.91 +0.14 2 2.61 -0.37 12 Brunswick_ME 1.26 +0.42 1 4.88 +1.21 10 Caribou_Municip 0.82 +0.12 3 2.82 +0.36 12 Corinna 1.02 +0.19 2 3.09 -0.26 6 Danforth 1.48 +0.64 3 3.33 +0.10 9 Dover-Foxcroft 0.71 -0.13 2 2.97 -0.39 11 Durham 0.94 +0.10 3 3.75 +0.16 10 East_Hiram 1.22 +0.33 3 4.48 +0.84 11 Eustis 0.83 +0.13 2 2.63 -0.24 10 Frenchville 0.72 +0.02 3 2.88 +0.30 12 Gray 1.01 +0.16 3 3.82 +0.12 9 Greenville_ME 0.39 -0.45 2 1.38 -1.98 10 Guilford 0.84 +0.00 2 3.59 +0.23 10 Hollis 1.24 +0.35 2 4.88 +1.06 9 Houlton 1.28 +0.55 2 3.44 +0.77 12 Kennebunkport 1.10 +0.19 2 4.62 +0.82 13 Livermore_Falls 1.44 +0.60 4 4.45 +0.90 11 Moosehead 0.84 +0.07 2 2.68 -0.30 12 New_Sharon 1.19 +0.35 2 4.16 +0.61 9 Patten 1.04 +0.31 4 3.47 +0.80 11 Portage 1.02 +0.32 3 2.74 +0.28 11 Portland_ME 1.02 +0.17 2 3.84 +0.14 10 Rangeley 1.02 +0.34 3 2.33 -0.16 11 Sebec_Lake 0.88 +0.04 2 3.52 +0.16 10 Vanceboro 1.05 +0.21 2 3.17 -0.19 10 Waterville 1.10 +0.26 3 3.54 +0.24 13 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 1.42 +0.72 3 5.20 +2.40 14 Benton 1.47 +0.75 3 3.21 +0.48 11 Berlin_AG 2.23 +1.46 3 3.70 +0.49 12 Bethlehem 1.69 +0.99 5 3.30 +0.50 18 Concord 1.05 +0.35 2 5.11 +2.31 10 Diamond_Pond 1.28 +0.44 6 3.61 +0.55 18 First_Conn_Lake 1.03 +0.19 4 2.83 -0.23 17 Greenville 0.83 -0.01 2 5.13 +1.77 10 Keene_AP 0.65 -0.19 2 3.77 +0.62 8 Lakeport 1.38 +0.61 3 4.49 +1.38 11 Marlow 0.98 +0.07 3 4.27 +0.63 11 Mount_Washingto 2.07 +0.39 4 5.76 -1.48 17 North_Conway 1.27 +0.36 3 4.26 +0.45 12 Otter_Brook_Lk 1.04 +0.20 3 5.14 +1.99 12 Plymouth 1.58 +0.69 3 3.58 +0.27 7 Rochester 1.05 +0.14 1 5.20 +1.29 9 Weare 0.86 -0.05 2 5.38 +1.74 9 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 0.61 -0.40 3 3.19 -0.93 12 Bethel 0.62 -0.36 4 2.08 -1.64 13 Burlington_Intl 0.92 +0.22 5 2.31 -0.37 15 East_Haven 0.45 -0.32 4 2.48 -0.40 16 Island_Pond 0.89 +0.12 4 2.69 -0.07 17 Montpelier 0.62 -0.07 3 2.11 -0.35 16 Morrisville_AG 0.48 -0.29 4 2.38 -0.70 17 Mount_Mansfield 2.13 +0.92 5 5.64 +0.54 17 Northfield 0.61 -0.16 3 2.37 -0.52 13 Pownal 0.90 -0.11 4 4.40 +0.28 13 Rochester 0.60 -0.38 3 2.35 -1.37 13 Rutland_AG 0.64 -0.12 3 2.08 -0.67 13 Sunderland 0.74 -0.03 3 2.96 +0.08 15 Sutton 0.79 +0.02 5 3.10 +0.22 19 Townshend_Lake 0.60 -0.23 4 3.18 +0.04 14 Union_Vill_Dam 1.00 +0.23 4 2.73 -0.17 14 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 1.08 +0.31 4 5.38 +2.21 11 Boston/Logan_In 0.85 +0.08 3 5.45 +2.19 11 Greenfield 1.01 +0.17 4 5.41 +1.96 11 New_Bedford 0.62 -0.22 3 3.64 -0.01 12 Otis_AFB 1.08 +0.23 2 3.91 +0.33 10 Plymouth 0.66 -0.27 3 3.97 +0.07 12 Walpole 1.00 +0.20 3 6.61 +2.91 12 West_Medway 1.10 +0.30 2 6.93 +3.23 11 Chicopee/Westov 0.98 +0.07 3 4.25 +0.61 11 Worcester 0.98 +0.00 4 5.72 +1.97 13 Worthington 0.74 -0.31 4 4.77 +0.76 13 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 0.96 +0.08 3 5.50 +1.79 11 Woonsocket 0.98 +0.04 2 6.73 +2.86 11 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 0.80 -0.11 3 5.43 +1.79 11 Bridgeport/Siko 0.69 -0.22 4 6.98 +3.37 13 Hartford/Bradle 0.86 -0.05 3 5.15 +1.51 11 Norfolk 0.52 -0.52 5 3.65 -0.54 13 Norwich 1.19 +0.14 3 8.66 +4.40 10 Thomaston_Dam 0.87 -0.18 4 5.33 +1.25 13 Willimantic 1.12 +0.14 3 7.02 +3.10 13 Summary based on NWS data. DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2004: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. -- Other Agricultural Comments and News CONNECTICUT - Ross Eddy (FSA), Hartford/Tolland: Showers off and on during the week did little to keep farmers from planting field corn, sweet corn, onions, potatoes, and turf/sod. Cool temperatures hampered crop development and sunshine was hard pressed to stay out two days in a row. Apples nearing full bloom. Marsha Jette (FSA), New London: Fields are still wet with producers commenting that they have never seen the fields this wet this late in the season. Producers who were hoping to begin first cutting are finding the fields still too wet. The warm weather predicted this week will bring tasks closer to normal. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Glorious sunshine but a bit cool, corn seeds are not ready to go into the cold crop beds, manure spreading continues, picking up debris in fields from storms and thoughtless people. Fruit trees are showing their commitment to a new year of production. Early bedding plants enticing garden work. Karen Vozarik (FSA), New Haven: Rain has been steady, plants are selling, hay is growing, fields are being cultivated. Richard Meinert (Ext), CT Cooperative: Spreading manure, planting corn and getting hay equipment ready. Sweet corn under row covers ready for nitrate testing. Many fields still too wet to work. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potatoes and small grains: Some field work began during the week but limited primarily to seeding small grains. Very few potatoes planted. Ground temperatures remain too cold for proper germination of seed. Some rock picking and tillage being done. A couple of heavy morning frosts slowed down soil warming. Steve London, Southern Aroostook: Potatoes and small grains: Farms are getting some grain in and a few potatoes started last week. Field conditions are pretty good. Albert Dow (NRCS), Piscataquis: Farmers are spreading manure, fencing, and tilling. Donna Lamb (Ext), Piscataquis: Manure spreading and tillage are the main farm activities this week. Janet King (FSA), Somerset: Corn is being planted. Rick Kersbergen (Ext), Waldo: Warm dry weather with lots of drying winds have allowed a lot of field work. Corn is being planted and field prep continues. Several frosts last week. Major winter injury is now apparent in Alfalfa fields throughout the state, with some fields with 75-80 percent kill. Trudy Soucy (FSA), Knox/Lincoln: Herbicide application has begun on blueberry fields as burning winds down. Fungicide application for mummyberry underway. Possible damage to this years crop from extreme cold and lack of snow cover. Shrubs, seedlings and flowers for sale at roadside stands and green houses. Black flies are out! Michael Tardy (FSA), Androscoggin: The week turned out to be fair weather, a few days even very warm. Producers were busy in the fields spreading manure and preparing the land for planting. Jill Littlefield (FSA), Cumberland/York: Cool damp weather slowed field work a bit. Farmers market open this week. Green houses had a busy week. Peas made it into the ground this week. Some producers had a hard frost with the full moon. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: Conditions are excellent for land preparation planting. Grass is growing well. Psst... brook trout are biting in ponds!!! Laura Rand (FSA), Oxford: Green houses are up and going. Mother's Day was a big opening event for most greenhouses. Oats and potatoes are being planted. Conditions are cool, at times damp, and the woods are dry. Livestock producers are spreading manure and crop producers are preparing fields for planting. MASSACHUSETTS - Arthur Williams (FSA), Berkshire: Manure is being spread and plowing or chiseling and some crops being planted. Nearly everybody is planting sweet corn, some under plastic. Still some vernal pools. Cool air with breeze. Paul Russell (FSA), Southeast Massachusetts: Cool weather continues. Planting is going very slow. Crops that are planted are starting to emerge. Cranberry growers have finished their first herbicide application and are spreading fertilizer for the bloom. David Rose (FSA), Bristol: Planting continues. A couple of warm days last week allowed more fields to dry out enough to be worked. Sweet corn under plastic looks good at this time. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Temperatures in the low 30's on Tuesday morning prompted producers to break out the irrigation equipment early this season! This was especially true with strawberries under remay row cover. Variable temperatures and soggy field conditions have kept tractors idling this week. Alfalfa and peach producers are reporting severe winter kill damage. Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: It was a rainy week but well needed. This rain caused a delay in planting potatoes, cabbage and sweet corn. Asparagus, rhubarb, spinach and fiddleheads were being harvested. Sweet corn under plastic up five to six inches and looks good. Orchardists were applying a fungicide spray, fertilizing and mowing under trees. Farm stands opened for Mother's Day and business was very good selling flowers, shrubs, and early harvested vegetables. Gary Guida, Worcester: Another difficult week as we struggled to plow fields and fit plastic. Soil really heavy and cool temps slowed us down. No corn up yet. Green houses look great with flowers. Best Mother's Day on record as consumers purchased everything in bloom, despite rain on Sunday. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Amy Ouellette (Ext), Belknap: Sunny spring weather contributed to brisk garden center sales over the weekend. Cold tolerant vegetable crops are planted or soon to be. Fields are being prepped for vegetable transplanting. Fruit growers are watching the weather and spraying fungicides and insecticides. Pastures are green. We are in need of rain. Tina Savage (Ext), Carroll: Rain early in the week, warm and pleasant the rest of the week. Fertilizing, manure spreading , planting prep work continues where possible. Poorly drained fields are still too wet to do much with. Blueberries showing some winter damage up to 15 percent in places. Carl Majewski (Ext), Cheshire: Generally sunny but cool weather - a little rain and a couple of frosts over the week. Many farms finishing with manure applications, continuing field prep. A couple farms have started planting corn, with a lot of ground ready to go this week. Grass and alfalfa is growing strong. Vegetable operations continue planting and putting out transplants for cole crops, etc. Orchards and berry operations seem to be doing well. Green houses doing a brisk business. Steve Turaj (Ext), Coos: Fertilizer and manure spreading on meadows. Corn fields continue to be prepared for planting although appear somewhat delayed by cold wet weather. Many fields yet to be worked up. Garden centers open up for Mother's Day with nice sunny conditions although hard freezes the night before and during the week make plant displays a challenge. Orchard grass a foot or more tall now, dandelions about in full bloom, a welcome sight for beekeepers. Dog ticks being picked up in noticeable numbers. More cattle and livestock now on pasture. Snow! Early this week, two to eight inches or so depending on county location. Rivers and streams running well. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: Field preparation and corn planting continues. Hay growing slowly. Cool temperatures have limited crop growth. Soil temperatures still cool (less than 50 degrees) especially on wetter soils. Steve Schmidt (FSA), Grafton: Planting is in full swing. Top soil moisture conditions are just right. The ground is dry enough to work without any problems. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Fruits: Made sure bees were in apple orchards beginning of week. Plum were at petal fall beginning of the week. Peach full bloom during beginning of week and petal fall at mid-week. Apples and pear were in full bloom. Planting fruit trees. Fertilizing orchards. Protective fungicide sprays applied on fruit trees. Field Crops: Farmers are liming and fertilizing hayfields; spreading manure, plowing, discing, fertilizing and planting corn. Vegetables: Continue early season vegetables (peas, lettuce, greens) planting, along with sweet corn and potatoes. High tunnel tomatoes looking good. Liming, fertilizing, discing and getting ready to plant fields. Laying plastic mulch and drip irrigation tape. Harvesting asparagus. John Porter (Ext), Merrimack: Corn planting is well underway. Some delay in planting due to earlier wet conditions on upland soils. A lot of land is tilled and ready for planting. About 20 percent of the acreage is planted. Pastures are doing very well. Rotational grazing was started by April 30. Blueberry growers concerned about this year's crop due to winter damage. They are bringing in bees to maximize pollination. Nada Haddad (Ext), Rockingham: Great sunny days with midweek rain and almost freezing temperature. Continue on planting early vegetables and small fruits. Fertilizing small fruits, tree fruits and hay fields. Covering strawberries with straw or overhead irrigation in anticipation of the cold temperature. Garden centers busy selling pansies, bedding plants and nursery stock, etc... Pam Marvin (FSA), Sullivan: A dry week to allow continuing field work to be completed. Silage corn planting progressing daily with many farms reporting close to 50 percent of their fields planted. Small amount of winter kill on alfalfa fields with most of the fields up and close to being cut for the first time. Spraying of fields is ongoing with first round of spraying in orchards winding down. Evidence of minor winter kill on some flowering shrubs as well as some blueberry bushes. Geoffrey Njue (Ext), Strafford: This was a good week to work the farm. Although there were some partly cloudy days and a few showers, it was a good week. Farmers were busy preparing the fields for planting. Some vegetable growers still transplanting tomatoes into high tunnels. Hay fields greening nicely. Fruit growers applying protective sprays on fruit trees. Winter injury on most peach buds. Those that are still alive blooming nicely. Some limited winter damage on young apple trees. In general apples, blueberries and strawberries are looking great. Greenhouses and nurseries are full of bedding plants and perennials. Sales are picking up and most had good mothers day weekend sales. RHODE ISLAND - Karen Menezes (Ext), Newport: Cool, breezy and some rain was the order of the week. Field work for field and sweet corn, planting potatoes and cole crops. Greenhouse work is very busy. Roadside stands were booming for Mother's Day weekend. VERMONT - John St. Onge/Kim Peterson (FSA), Lamoille: A generally cool week with a trace of snow slowed the overall pace of fieldwork. Dry conditions were helpful to prepare for planting. Manure spreading kept many very busy. Observed a dairy herd turned out to pasture for the first time. They were acting very frisky and glad it is spring!! Of course they were Jerseys. Dave Blodgett (NRCS), Orleans: Farmers spent the week spreading manure and tilling corn fields. Some grass seed has been sowed. Pastures are growing well and I have seen some young stock turned out to pasture. Perley Sparrow (FSA), Windham: In the past week farmers have been planting some corn, but most of them report the ground temperature is still low. Apple producers have been dealing with below freezing temperatures in early morning this past week. Some winter kill to blueberries to what extent is to be seen. Alfalfa that survived the winter looks excellent. Jeff Carter (Ext), Addison: Started planting field corn, newly seeded hay fields. Good soil conditions for primary and secondary tillage. Weed control spraying. Fertilizer and manure applications to hay land and corn fields. Cows turned out at last. Some alfalfa kill, mostly looks good and vigorous. Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: A cooler week than last week. Measurable snow on Tuesday. Spreading manure, preparing corn ground. I have seen one herd of cows out on grass, there was not a lot of feed there. Still need warmer temperatures and rain. Heather Darby (Ext), Franklin: Field work continues....mostly manure spreading and some tillage. Very little corn being planted. Some new seedings being planted. Sherwin Williams, Rutland: Plowing under nice crop of Winter rye before planting. Spraying early corn fields for weed control. Keep planting sweet corn and peas each week. Started planting early potatoes. Ground in good shape. 0.748 ins. rainfall for week. Real warm weather early in week woke up the asparagus and we have started cutting, earliest cutting for some time. Peas and small vegetable crops beginning to show color and see the rows. Have a good growing week. Reporters are from: Extension Service (Ext), Farm Service Agency(FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), or other knowledgeable individuals. -- Contact Information To receive this report every Monday evening, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statisticians: Dianne Johnson Stat Assistant: Wayne Colpitt Deputy: Joe Sampson New England Agricultural Statistics Service National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture Aubrey R. Davis, Director 22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor PO Box 1444 Concord, NH 03302-1444 Phone: (603) 224-9639 Fax: (603) 225-1434 Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov ****************** end of report ***********************