Heavy Rains Challenge Manalapan Farmers

Written by Megan Malloy

Rifkin and VonThun Farms are bearing the brunt of the third-wettest June in New Jersey on record, according to state officials, where the state experienced three to four more inches of rainfall than usual. 

Heavy summer rains are enough to ruin a day at the beach for most New Jerseyans, but for local farmers, it’s enough to set them back in their inventory and alter planting cycles.

“It was a tremendous set back for the crops about two weeks ago, when we had all the rain,” said Hal Rifkin of Rifkin Farms in Manalapan. “But the plants are fighting back, so it looks promising.”     

Rifkin reported minimal losses of crops so far, as long as the rain continues to hold off. While crops can be watered during a drought, there is not much that farmers can do during heavy rain. If plants do not have the opportunity to dry out, fungus can grow and spread on produce, Rifkin explained. Crops must be planted in cycles, and heavy rains can preclude farmers from planting on schedule.

Cucumbers, pickles, and squash all fare particularly badly during heavy rainfall, though they are already bouncing back, Rifkin reported.

“We just keep following the pattern and hope the next ones will do better,” he said. 

Ed Kowacz of VonThun Farms in Monmouth Junction reported that all of the farm’s green beans and wax bean fields were lost due to drowning. Smaller plants, like strawberries and peas, experienced a shorter season by a couple of weeks because of the rain. 

Luckily, both Rifkin Farms and VonThun Farms have had a healthy arrival of corn and tomatoes, so all New Jerseyans can breathe a sigh of relief.