State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 7/31/05 Issue NH-CW3704 Volume 25, Number 14 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) August 1, 2005 - 4 pm -- Agricultural Summary-- Excellent Haymaking Conditions GENERAL CONDITIONS: For the week ending July 31, 2005, there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture: 6% very short, 20% short, 68% adequate, 6% surplus. Subsoil moisture: 1% very short, 26% short, 65% adequate, 8% surplus. Pasture condition: 3% poor, 31% fair, 55% good, and 11% excellent. The humidity and heat disappeared midweek; mild weather with cloudy conditions followed. Thunderstorms across the region on Wednesday brought needed rain to some fields and lowered overall humidity. Warm and mostly dry conditions during the day allowed many to bale hay through much of the week. Nighttime showers were scattered and left some fields needing moisture while promoting growth in others. Major farm activities included cultivating, hoeing weeds, monitoring pests and diseases, spraying pesticides, mowing orchards, haying, harvesting a variety of vegetables and early sweet corn, as well as harvesting highbush blueberries, raspberries and peaches. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND --------------------------------------------- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year -- Percent -- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 6 3 1 Short 20 26 6 Adequate 68 67 73 Surplus 6 4 20 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 1 0 1 Short 26 25 7 Adequate 65 71 79 Surplus 8 4 13 --------------------------------------------- -- Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report FRUIT: The arrival of pleasant weather kept pick your own berry operations busy; most farms now open for highbush blueberry and raspberry picking. Strawberry harvest was complete in all states by week's end, and most growers busy renovating beds. Rainy nights and warm days were great for all berries. Maine wild blueberries development remained behind normal; recent rains welcomed to improve berry quality. Apple condition in Maine and Vermont ranged from good to excellent; elsewhere conditions were rated fair to good. Peach harvest began in southern New England. Orchardists continued monitoring for pests, applied pesticides and mowed orchard floors. Cranberry growers continued to irrigate, monitor for pests, and apply pesticides and fungicides. VEGETABLES: With local fresh vegetables in high demand this week farmers' markets and farm stands were ready to deliver. Scattered showers and warm conditions compelled many farmers to work late days harvesting fast growing crops. Rains missed some areas, leaving hot and humid weather to diminish crop yields; excessive blossom drop noted on sensitive crops. Southern parts of the region reported losses on peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash due to high heat. Fungal diseases were a problem in the areas which received a lot of rain. Sweet corn condition rated very good with development and yields above average. Picking is now underway across the region. Growers harvested an array of vegetables including: beans, beets, carrots, celery, cucumbers, greens, tomatoes, snap beans, squash and sweet corn. Also vegetable growers were busy cultivating, weeding, and monitoring for pests regionwide. FIELD CROPS: Warm weather for much of the week enhanced crop development. Scattered showers made field conditions hit or miss with some reports of adequate to excess moisture and others too dry. Field corn was curling from dry conditions in some areas. Humidity during the first part of the week made for sporadic haying, but drier weather during the latter part of the week provided excellent conditions for cutting dry hay. A few farmers were still harvesting first cutting of dry hay. Second cut of dry hay is in good or excellent condition and some in Southern New England were harvesting third cutting. Dry conditions hindered regrowth on third crop hay. Massachusetts potato harvest was underway by the end of the week, slightly behind last year but ahead of the five year average. Maine potato conditions were mostly good with no blight reported in Aroostook County. More moisture needed in the northern region of the state. Broadleaf tobacco harvest advanced to ahead of last year and on par with the five year average. Shade tobacco harvest was active during the week with just under one-third of the crop picked. Massachusetts crop specialists report no additional outbreaks of blue mold as of the end of July. Some flooding of tobacco fields reported in Franklin County, Massachusetts. -- Crop Progress Tables FIELD CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ---------------------------------------------------- Crop 2005 2004 5-yr Avg Condition ---------------------------------------------------- -- Percent Emerged -- Silage Corn 100 100 100 Good/Excellent Sweet Corn 100 100 100 Good/Excellent -- Percent Harvested -- Barley, ME Good/Excellent Oats, ME - - - Good/Excellent Potatoes Maine - - - Good Mass. 5 10 <5 Good Rhode Isl. - - 5 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 20 20 20 Good/Excellent Tobacco Broadleaf 10 <5 10 Good/Fair Shade 30 20 20 Good Dry hay, 90 90 95 Good/Fair 1st cut Dry hay, 45 35 50 Good/Excellent 2nd cut Dry hay, 5 <5 5 Good/excellent 3rd cut ---------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ----------------------------------------------------- --Percent Harvested-- Crop 2005 2004 5-yr Fruit Condition Avg Size ----------------------------------------------------- Apples - - - Avg Good/Fair Peaches 10 10 15 Avg Good/Fair Pears - - - Avg Fair/Good Blueberries Highbush 35 65 35 Avg/Above Good/Excel Wild, ME - - - Below Avg Poor/Fair Cranberries,MA - - - Avg/Below Good/Fair Strawberries 100 100 100 Avg/Above Good ----------------------------------------------------- -- Weather Summary For the Period: Monday July 25, 2005 To: Sunday July 31, 2005 AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI -- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 38 93 66 -2 0.09 2.79 NH 37 95 68 +1 0.10 1.38 VT 44 93 68 +0 0.11 1.99 MA 49 97 73 +3 0.00 1.28 RI 52 96 74 +2 0.00 0.02 CT 55 96 74 +2 0.01 2.37 ------------------------------------------- Copyright 2005: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -- Weather Information Table For the Period: Monday July 25, 2005 To: Sunday July 31, 2005 AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAYS ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60F STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DFN ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- ---- MAINE Albion 48 89 68 -4 1073 -179 472 +3 Allagash 38 82 60 -6 863 +31 327 +118 Augusta_State_A 53 92 72 +2 1201 -2 565 +124 Bangor_Intl_Arp 50 91 70 +1 1202 +116 539 +175 Barnard 46 85 64 -3 1021 +77 431 +156 Bath 49 88 70 +1 1016 -79 420 +43 Bethel 50 87 67 -2 1112 +16 483 +119 Brassua_Dam 44 85 63 -3 904 +125 360 +172 Brunswick_ME 54 87 71 +3 1054 -41 463 +86 Caribou_Municip 43 82 63 -4 1024 +124 429 +183 Corinna 50 89 67 -2 1116 +56 493 +154 Danforth 46 85 64 -4 979 -42 399 +68 Dover-Foxcroft 48 87 64 -4 946 +2 384 +109 Durham 50 90 69 -3 1080 -196 473 -29 East_Hiram 49 89 68 -1 1101 +7 484 +121 Eustis 45 82 61 -4 890 +124 344 +170 Frenchville 46 82 63 -2 1002 +170 417 +208 Gray 55 90 72 +4 1212 +136 579 +218 Greenville_ME 50 83 65 -3 997 +42 422 +140 Guilford 49 88 66 -2 1007 +63 445 +170 Hollis 49 92 69 +2 1115 +81 504 +178 Houlton 41 84 63 -4 998 +65 409 +138 Kennebunkport 50 86 70 -3 1026 -320 431 -112 Livermore_Falls 49 93 68 +2 1147 +208 533 +266 Moosehead 44 85 63 -3 881 +102 341 +153 New_Sharon 50 90 68 +1 1101 +162 501 +234 Patten 45 83 63 -5 927 -6 364 +93 Portage 44 82 63 -4 1001 +101 416 +170 Portland_ME 54 90 72 +3 1156 +80 528 +167 Rangeley 46 85 63 -2 910 +177 358 +202 Sebec_Lake 47 85 65 -3 1011 +56 423 +141 Vanceboro 46 84 65 -4 957 +9 378 +97 Waterville 52 88 69 -2 1134 -118 520 +51 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 46 92 70 -1 1195 -36 560 +103 Benton 49 85 67 +0 1127 +97 489 +189 Berlin_AG 50 87 67 -1 1142 +110 504 +188 Bethlehem 48 88 67 +0 1141 +111 499 +198 Concord 50 94 72 +3 1395 +164 680 +223 Diamond_Pond 46 80 61 -2 865 +182 330 +209 First_Conn_Lake 40 82 61 -2 900 +217 346 +225 Greenville 54 91 72 +5 1454 +342 732 +373 Keene_AP 55 93 72 +1 1402 +16 679 +118 Lakeport 55 92 72 +4 1388 +232 683 +274 Marlow 50 91 69 +0 1265 +10 602 +141 Mount_Washingto 37 64 51 +3 250 +218 15 +15 North_Conway 52 89 70 +1 1225 +73 569 +166 Otter_Brook_Lk 51 93 70 -2 1306 -80 612 +51 Plymouth 50 88 68 +2 1158 +149 518 +214 Rochester 53 93 71 +0 1239 -71 575 +63 Weare 55 88 70 +1 1280 +25 604 +143 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 49 91 68 +1 1206 +136 546 +211 Bethel 51 87 68 +2 1235 +223 566 +259 Burlington_Intl 53 88 70 -2 1543 +208 782 +249 East_Haven 44 87 65 +1 1133 +281 491 +274 Island_Pond 47 83 64 +0 1106 +268 481 +277 Montpelier 51 86 68 +1 1293 +249 599 +274 Morrisville_AG 48 87 65 -3 1109 +77 479 +154 Mount_Mansfield 44 72 58 -1 688 +249 189 +145 Northfield 50 86 66 +1 1201 +259 537 +270 Pownal 50 87 68 +2 1311 +235 587 +247 Rochester 52 87 68 +2 1251 +239 576 +269 Rutland_AG 51 90 70 -1 1358 -23 656 +103 Sunderland 48 89 70 -1 1318 -11 618 +107 Sutton 49 84 65 +0 1104 +252 483 +266 Townshend_Lake 54 90 71 +1 1339 +45 636 +133 Union_Vill_Dam 49 93 69 -2 1186 -121 524 +16 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 56 92 72 +4 1354 +240 640 +265 Boston/Logan_In 63 94 76 +2 1505 -49 767 +82 Greenfield 55 93 72 +0 1459 -24 711 +83 New_Bedford 50 92 73 -2 1328 -213 598 -73 Otis_AFB 57 90 72 +2 1547 +320 764 +298 Plymouth 51 95 73 +3 1332 +44 647 +136 Walpole 56 95 75 +4 1492 +154 738 +206 West_Medway 55 91 73 +2 1394 +56 665 +133 Chicopee/Westov 59 95 76 +2 1673 -29 844 +59 Worcester 58 92 73 +4 1447 +207 704 +243 Worthington 50 90 69 +2 1245 +160 549 +204 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 57 96 78 +5 1595 +126 800 +170 Woonsocket 55 93 75 +4 1492 +176 722 +218 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 56 92 72 -3 1380 -268 626 -126 Bridgeport/Siko 66 93 77 +3 1680 +107 812 +102 Hartford/Bradle 61 95 77 +3 1748 +107 896 +147 Norfolk 55 88 70 +3 1287 +198 566 +215 Norwich 59 96 75 +3 1577 +73 778 +139 Thomaston_Dam 58 92 74 +4 1525 +219 739 +246 Willimantic 56 92 74 +4 1534 +204 731 +219 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ----- ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 0.90 +0.06 2 2.54 -0.63 11 Allagash 0.50 -0.41 3 3.80 +0.33 10 Augusta_State_A 0.15 -0.62 1 1.98 -0.91 7 Bangor_Intl_Arp 2.79 +2.09 3 3.90 +0.91 10 Barnard 1.87 +1.10 4 7.18 +3.96 12 Bath 0.47 -0.21 1 2.05 -0.61 9 Bethel 0.20 -0.64 1 3.08 -0.14 9 Brassua_Dam 0.95 +0.04 3 4.45 +0.81 14 Brunswick_ME 1.03 +0.35 2 3.52 +0.86 10 Caribou_Municip 0.13 -0.85 4 4.10 +0.43 11 Corinna 1.35 +0.58 3 4.81 +1.73 13 Danforth 0.96 +0.05 3 4.47 +0.90 13 Dover-Foxcroft 0.75 -0.02 2 2.96 -0.26 12 Durham 1.20 +0.46 1 3.68 +0.62 12 East_Hiram 0.38 -0.46 1 3.40 +0.10 10 Eustis 1.22 +0.38 3 4.34 +0.98 11 Frenchville 0.56 -0.35 2 3.95 +0.48 9 Gray 0.75 +0.12 1 2.88 +0.12 10 Greenville_ME 1.26 +0.49 3 6.72 +3.50 13 Guilford 1.32 +0.55 4 4.27 +1.05 13 Hollis 0.52 -0.18 1 3.25 +0.32 11 Houlton 0.38 -0.53 4 4.18 +0.74 16 Kennebunkport 0.29 -0.40 1 1.65 -1.14 7 Livermore_Falls 1.01 +0.22 2 2.94 -0.17 8 Moosehead 1.22 +0.31 3 5.02 +1.38 12 New_Sharon 1.02 +0.23 2 2.95 -0.16 7 Patten 0.54 -0.37 4 5.01 +1.57 17 Portage 0.28 -0.70 5 4.73 +1.06 15 Portland_ME 0.48 -0.15 1 2.64 -0.12 10 Rangeley 0.98 +0.14 4 3.63 +0.44 13 Sebec_Lake 1.70 +0.93 3 7.07 +3.85 12 Vanceboro 0.93 +0.19 3 4.25 +1.20 12 Waterville 0.87 +0.03 3 2.93 -0.24 11 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 1.06 +0.29 1 2.32 -0.60 9 Benton 0.76 -0.07 2 3.43 +0.28 10 Berlin_AG 0.30 -0.58 1 3.18 -0.22 8 Bethlehem 1.04 +0.10 3 4.09 +0.52 11 Concord 0.28 -0.49 1 2.40 -0.52 8 Diamond_Pond 1.29 +0.22 4 5.95 +1.76 13 First_Conn_Lake 1.36 +0.29 3 5.08 +0.89 10 Greenville 0.52 -0.39 2 2.35 -1.09 9 Keene_AP 0.85 +0.01 2 4.19 +0.92 10 Lakeport 1.38 +0.54 1 3.35 +0.10 9 Marlow 0.11 -0.69 1 2.97 -0.16 9 Mount_Washingto 0.51 -1.13 2 8.78 +2.42 11 North_Conway 0.54 -0.32 1 4.98 +1.60 9 Otter_Brook_Lk 0.64 -0.20 1 2.18 -1.09 9 Plymouth 0.20 -0.71 1 1.87 -1.65 9 Rochester 0.23 -0.61 1 3.38 +0.23 8 Weare 0.55 -0.25 2 3.89 +0.76 13 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 0.28 -0.63 1 2.07 -1.59 9 Bethel 0.48 -0.46 2 2.95 -0.55 11 Burlington_Intl 1.47 +0.62 2 5.13 +1.84 10 East_Haven 1.45 +0.44 2 6.08 +2.22 10 Island_Pond 1.14 +0.12 3 4.01 +0.13 10 Montpelier 1.03 +0.29 2 4.37 +1.54 11 Morrisville_AG 1.31 +0.30 2 4.10 +0.31 10 Mount_Mansfield 1.99 +0.47 4 7.28 +1.40 14 Northfield 0.88 +0.04 2 4.45 +1.29 9 Pownal 1.05 +0.14 1 4.75 +1.09 12 Rochester 0.60 -0.34 3 3.34 -0.16 14 Rutland_AG 0.47 -0.44 2 4.40 +0.89 13 Sunderland 0.35 -0.39 1 3.12 +0.37 12 Sutton 1.48 +0.47 2 5.12 +1.26 13 Townshend_Lake 0.52 -0.31 3 2.57 -0.50 12 Union_Vill_Dam 0.20 -0.57 2 2.22 -0.76 10 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 0.36 -0.44 1 4.78 +1.46 11 Boston/Logan_In 0.00 -0.66 0 3.37 +0.82 6 Greenfield 0.09 -0.75 1 5.24 +1.88 12 New_Bedford 0.03 -0.74 1 0.90 -1.90 9 Otis_AFB 0.12 -0.57 1 1.56 -1.03 6 Plymouth 0.00 -0.77 0 1.47 -1.61 7 Walpole 0.00 -0.78 0 2.13 -0.96 7 West_Medway 0.30 -0.48 1 3.25 +0.16 12 Chicopee/Westov 0.11 -0.66 2 2.86 -0.37 10 Worcester 0.30 -0.54 1 3.95 +0.49 8 Worthington 0.00 -0.98 0 1.41 -2.49 11 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 0.01 -0.76 1 0.95 -1.92 7 Woonsocket 0.02 -0.89 1 2.32 -1.25 9 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 0.01 -0.71 1 3.84 +0.98 10 Bridgeport/Siko 0.30 -0.54 1 2.81 -0.61 9 Hartford/Bradle 0.02 -0.70 1 7.23 +4.37 11 Norfolk 0.07 -0.91 1 2.81 -0.98 9 Norwich 0.48 -0.40 1 2.39 -0.98 6 Thomaston_Dam 0.32 -0.66 1 5.35 +1.58 12 Willimantic 0.44 -0.47 1 2.21 -1.54 11 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 2005: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIShome page at www.awis.com or call toll free at1-888-798-9955. -- Other Agricultural Comments and News CONNECTICUT - Howard Rood (FSA), Fairfield/Litchfield: Field corn looks good. Scattered showers during the week. Ross Eddy (FSA), Hartford/Tolland: Drought conditions showing up in many locations. Irrigation for most all vegetables is going on where water is near by. Started cutting broadleaf tobacco this week. Grass hay is slow to come back in these dry conditions. Extreme heat has stressed all vegetable crops and folks working in the fields too! Frank Himmelstein (Ext), New London: Field Corn- Scattered showers this week with some isolated severe thunderstorms in the northern part of the county. The corn crop is starting to show the effects of many cloudy days this season and overall lack of rain. Many fields tasseled out with short stalks and initial ear development in some fields looks small. Typically wetter fields look good. No insect or disease problems reported this year. In terms of weed control aside from ragweed and burcucumber outbreaks, no major problems reported. The biggest problem in weed control has been not keeping track of where glyphosate-resistant corn was planted and a number of acres of non-glyphosate resistant corn were killed by mistake. The major problem found in weed control in corn are some custom applicators continue to use excessive amounts of herbicides in order to achieve good control, in some cases rates in excess of the labeled rates were applied. Grass Hay- Second cut was chopped off on many fields this week. Quality was good but yields were low. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Hot, hot, hot, then scattered thunderstorms, cool, warm, crops are getting thirsty, corn still looking good, pasture getting dry, starting to supplement pastured animals, behind on hay - brief showers hold up the process, blueberries good, Japanese beetles bad, power outages frustrating for milking and cooling process. Nancy Welsh (FSA), New Haven: Silage corn is catching up after welcome rains. Hot, muggy weather has caused problems for vegetable growers, especially peppers and tomatoes with reports of plant die off throughout the county. Some difficulties with summer squash as well. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potatoes and small grains: Growers busy spraying fungicides and insecticides as needed. Keeping a watchful eye out on their fields, checking for late blight. As of now none has been reported in Northern Aroostook. Hauling the last of the previous years potato crop into the processor and trying to market their overage. Crops need rain although parts of the valley got half an inch this past week. Helped but not enough. Pam Hickey (Ext), Central Aroostook: Potato fields are continuing to look excellent with blossoming. Growers are still on a five day spray schedule for fungicides. Broccoli harvesting happening in this area. Grains are looking excellent also. All crops have emerged and are growing with showers and sunshine. Albert Dow (NRCS), Piscataquis: Excess moisture caused some farmers to leave wet areas of hayfields uncut to avoid rutting the field. Donna Lamb (Ext), Piscataquis: Periodic rain has made haying difficult as farmers try to get in the last of the first crop hay. Strawberries are renovated. Sweet corn grown under remay is starting to tassel. Kathy Hopkins (Ext), Somerset: Weeding on-going. Vegetables starting to appear at farm stands as a result of warm weather. Donald Burke (FSA), Waldo: First crop haying continues under sunny skies. Rain overnight mid-week helped vegetable and fruit growers. Silage corn still behind due to a late start. Trudy Soucy (FSA), Knox/Lincoln: Over two dozen locally grown products are now for sale at farm markets! Sunny skies meant great haying weather. Most areas got 3/4 inch of rain or more overnight during the week. This was great news for blueberry and vegetable growers. Sandy Truslow (FSA), Cumberland/York: Good weather has finally arrived for making hay. Farmers are trying to finish the first cut. Other crops are just so-so. Some look good and some look stunted. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: Good growing conditions good especially after showers last week. String beans, cukes, tomatoes, sweet corn, etc. coming in up here now. Highbush blueberries are great! Marcia Hall (FSA), Oxford: What a great week for row crops. The beginning of the week started with hot, humid weather and the end of the week with hot, dry weather! Great for farming. Silage corn is catching up on growth, potato farmers are spraying and cultivating, and the hay is being harvested with a vengeance. Laura Rand (FSA), Androscoggin: A great week for farming! Hay activities, cultivating and spraying potatoes, silage corn growing - life could not be much better! Warm weather has given a much needed boost to silage and sweet corn. Hot days, rainy nights, and spotty thunder showers. MASSACHUSETTS - Arthur Williams (FSA), Berkshire: Warm weather helped haying in some parts of county. Periodic strong storms across southern Berkshire. Corn is tall and ahead in development this year. Farmers are hoping high winds don't knock it down. July turned out and average 4 degrees warmer than last year. Planting fall crops-peas, broccoli, lettuce, etc. Heavy yields of berries are coming fast. Sweet corn locally harvested started these past two weeks. Paul Russell (FSA), Southeast Massachusetts: Conditions continue to be hot and dry! Cranberry growers continue to irrigate. Cranberries are sizing up with very little insect pressure. Vegetable growers are harvesting many crops including sweet corn with yields and quality above average. Shellfish growers continue to harvest quahogs and oysters. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Hot and muggy weather shortened tempers and lengthened workdays this week. Farmers are still recovering from the storms last week. Many have called our office to report flood and disease damage. Vine crops, peppers, tobacco, potatoes and tomatoes seem to be most effected by the flooded fields. Some fields look okay while others are being harrowed. Most farmers have been working late to stay in front of rapidly growing crops. Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: Hot and humid all week long with scattered rain showers. All crops are growing very fast. Harvesting radishes, greens, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn and blueberries. Due to the high heat wave crop yields have been reduced in peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash due to blossom drop. Some growers started to irrigate because of the dry conditions. Tobacco crop looks good and no reports of any additional outbreaks of blue mold. Vegetable farmers continue to cultivate and scout their crops for disease and insects. Gary Guida, Worcester: Severe thunderstorms on Wed. not only knocked out power but flattened more corn. Otherwise another great growing week for all crops. Harvesting all summer crops and u-pickers out for blueberries. Locally grown produce selling really well and farmers starting to actually get prices we really deserve. Great retail weekend and once again perennials plants selling well as citizens fill in there garden gaps. Spray programs in full effect. NEW HAMPSHIRE - Amy Ouellette (Ext), Belknap: Sweet corn is finally ready!! Early field tomato and pepper harvests started this week too. Also picking squash, cukes, beans, swiss chard, beets, carrots, celery, raspberries and blueberries. Tina Savage (Ext), Carroll: Blueberries and raspberries in full swing, sweet corn in most all farm stands now. Second cut hay looks great, even had a few days to dry it. A few still cutting some over mature first cut hay. Carl Majewski (Ext), Cheshire: Warm, with a few bright, sunny days at the end of the week. Believe it or not, a few sites seem a little dry. All of the field corn is tasseled and silking, a few droughty spots starting to curl from lack of moisture. Second cutting wrapping up for haylage, though there's still quite a few making dry hay, especially with good drying conditions. Vegetable and berry crops doing well. Steve Turaj (Ext), Coos: Good soaking rain at midweek relieved what had becoming fairly dry conditions, otherwise cooler and sunny remainder of week. More hay coming in, second cut and seldom cut fields. Much of field corn now tasselling, looks quite good. Sweet corn doing well, earlier varieties starting to fill out ears. Other veggies also coming along well under what has been one of the better growing condition seasons. Pumpkins and winter squash flowering profusely, setting fruit, cucumbers, bush beans, other midseason veggies reaching market. Generally good fruit set, apples, blueberries and raspberries. Starting to see some fungal disease showing up in scattered areas of pumpkin, winter squash, also few squash bugs. Cucumber beetles seem to be less this year. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: Corn continues to tassel and silk. Corn looks good and has made up some of the ground lost early in the spring. Re-growth on orchardgrass and reed canarygrass has been good. Second cutting is winding up and third cutting re-growth is looking very good. Still sufficient soil moisture for most crops. Steve Schmidt (FSA), Grafton: The past week provided good haying conditions. With the exception of a break in the middle of the week, caused by thunderstorms, the weather was ideal. Some wet areas in fields still have yet to be hayed. Corn generally looks good. Some later plantings have a ways to go. Corn is tasseling. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Field Crops: Farmers making baled hay. Silage corn is rapidly growing. Second crop is looking good. Fruit: Peach, blueberry and raspberry harvests continued. Orchardists busy monitoring for pests, spraying if needed, and mowing orchard floors. Vegetables: Corn earworm and Fall Armyworm caught in traps during the week. Growers harvesting an array of vegetables. Farmers kept busy cultivating, hoeing weeds, monitoring pest pressures, spraying pesticides for insects and diseases - if needed. Sadie Puglisi (Ext), Merrimack: Raspberry and blueberry picking is going well. Good fruit set on raspberries this year. Blight diseases starting to show up on all crops and ornamentals. Getting a good rain as soon as things start to dry out. Nada Haddad (Ext), Rockingham: Raspberry and blueberries harvest continue. Fairly decent picking conditions this week-end for PYO customers. Harvesting an array of vegetables including tomatoes and sweet corn. Hay and haylage being done. Most pastures growth looking good. Cultivating, weeding vegetable fields. Early blight diseases showing in tomatoes. Continue monitoring pest in fruit orchards and spraying accordingly. Farmers' market, farm stands and garden centers busy. Pam Marvin (FSA), Sullivan: Many areas are missing the spot showers that occurred this week. Could use some rain. Good days for dry hay making. Humidity has helped with the advancement of vegetable gardens. Large quantity of summer vegetables being harvested. Silage corn ears maturing nicely. Geoffrey Njue (Ext), Strafford: This was one of the best weeks in this season for field work. Pastures and hayfields continue to do well. Some producers were already making the second cut for hay and haylage. Fruit growers renovating strawberry beds, mowing orchard floors and harvesting blueberries and raspberries. Vegetable growers harvesting an assortment of different vegetable crops and also busy cultivating for weed control. Sweet corn was the new item of the week as growers started harvesting their early corn. Greenhouse and nursery growers busy planting poinsettia rooted cuttings and monitoring the growth of fall mums. RHODE ISLAND - Karen Menezes (Ext), Newport: Blueberries being harvest, great sweet corn coming in, squash, cukes, herbs, beans all look great. Some second cut hay being done. Field corn looks ok, although all crops could use some rain. Sunflowers are filling up roadside stands and farmers markets. Malaree Searle: Sticky, hot and humid. Producers are anxiously waiting for rain as irrigation systems work overtime. Yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, sweet corn and other summer vegetables are being harvested. Blueberry season continues with this year's crop looking good. VERMONT - John St. Onge/Kim Peterson (FSA), Lamoille: Last week's inch of rain was just what the crops needed to keep them happy. Corn continues to look fantastic and second cut of grass is progressing nicely. Vegetable crops are producing well with a minimum of insect problems. Dave Blodgett (NRCS), Orleans: This was a nice dry week for putting up 2nd cut hay. Many farmers took advantage of this and finish haying. Corn is looking good in most places. Some of the corn has begun to tassel and is about 8 feet tall. It looks to be a good year for corn. Perley Sparrow (FSA), Windham: Pretty good hay week. Humid first part, thunderstorms mid week, end of week was less humid and better drying. Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: Many farmers done with second cut of hay, looking good. Corn coming along with the hot weather. We had nearly 2 inches of rain during the week, downpours, but water is getting down to plant roots. Reporters are from: Extension Service (Ext),Farm Service Agency(FSA), Natural Resources ConservationServices (NRCS), or other knowledgeable individuals. -- Contact Information To receive this report, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statistician: Travis Averill Stat Assistant: Deirdre Davis Deputy Director: Gerald Tillman 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*********************