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Warm Weather Leads to Early Bumper Crop of Farm Vegetables and Leafy Greens

A look at Paul Wiediger's "Au Naturel" farm in Edmonson County
A look at Paul Wiediger's "Au Naturel" farm in Edmonson County

Many farmers in our region are seeing unusually large numbers of crops springing up earlier than usual. Edmonson County farmer Paul Wiediger told WKU Public Radio things are running about three to four weeks ahead of schedule at his farm.

"We're seeing beautiful grass growing, which is great for cattle operations. And for those who us growing vegetables, we're seeing beautiful early spring growth on things like lettuce, green onions, kale, chard, and items like that."

Wiediger says farmers are faced with the choice of pulling greens and vegetables out of the ground now and getting them to early farmers' markets, or rolling the dice and hoping the produce is still fresh by the time many many markets open in April.

The unusual weather is just one of the reasons farming is so difficult, according to Wiediger. "You have to be a bit crazy to farm like this," he said. "Or a bit of a gambler."

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.