Journal | April 28, 2020
Hardscrabble Journal
Forecast
Every farmer’s day starts first with the weather forecast. Then the planning can begin. Advances in communicating weather forecasts has been life changing since I started farming. Instant access to radar imagery is the single most important technological advancement of my career.
I cannot imagine farming with not even a guess as to what the weather would be. But that is how it has been done until relatively recently.
In the 1980s my weather lifeline was a battery operated, portable NOAA radio. It would endlessly cycle a monotonous drone of station reports, wind speeds, river stages, high tides, high and low temperatures, and rain chances and timing. There were only certain places on the farm that would receive signals. I could regularly be found parked in my truck on the highest ridge with the radio up to my ear waiting for the cycle to announce something of interest to me.
Then in the early 1990s came satellite technology. For $100 a month I got a satellite dish and a bulky computer dedicated to weather forecasts. This included radar, which was a game changer. I could see when it was going to rain, for how long and how much. It was worth every penny.
During harvest this information was a huge contributor to better wine quality. Picking strategies and logistics were no longer as much of a guessing game. And, most importantly, there was much less stress.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: April 28, 2020