As #NewHampshire summers grow drier, farmers evolve to cope

by Molly Rains, September 8, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT

Excerpt: "Some more analog farming techniques are also crucial for drought resilience, Mathur said. A foundational element of soil health is related to how much organic material it contains, a measure boosted by additives like #compost, #manure, or #CoverCrops. In addition to adding nutrients to the soil, these materials also cling to water, helping keep soil damp and cool in times of limited rainfall, she said.

"Once organic materials are present in the soil, they can be retained for longer with methods like #NoTill farming or #ReducedTill farming, in which farmers refrain as much as possible from plowing their fields. Chewing up a field before planting a crop adds air to the soil, fueling the decomposition of the important organic matter within, Delisle said. While no-till and reduced-till farming isn’t a good fit for every crop, he added, many New Hampshire farmers have had success using the method with the common local crops of corn and pumpkins.

"Preserving the organic matter in New Hampshire’s soil is important not only in times of drought but also, Delisle said, in times of heavy rain and flooding, when farm equipment can compress fields. This compacts the soil and makes it less hospitable to plants.

" 'Soils with higher organic matter in them have the capacity to spring back once they’re pressed down, and that’s an important factor in the resiliency of that soil,' Delisle said."

Learn more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/hampshire-summers-grow-drier-farmers-090040658.html

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