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GUILFORD — There was very little Paul Harlow could do last week as the muddy brown waters of the Connecticut River spilled over and flooded his fields following the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Irene.
Like just about everyone else, Harlow thought the worst was behind him when he awoke last Monday, the day after the storm.
But as he prepared for a day of harvesting, the water quickly rose and within hours rows and rows of produce that he had been cultivating all season were destroyed.
“We worked for an hour, throwing dirt up to try to stop the water but it was useless,” Harlow said Friday as he prepared to plow under a massive pile of ruined produce. “It came a lot faster than I thought it could.”
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture sent out an advisory late Friday telling farmers that any fruits or vegetables that came in contact with flood waters would have to be destroyed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is impossible to adequately clean produce after a field is flooded.
And even though Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross knows the flooding occurred at one of the busiest times of the state’s short growing season, he asked all farmers to abide by the directive to protect consumers.
“We understand this is a huge financial loss for our farmers,” Ross said Friday. “But in order to keep our food supply safe and ensure Vermont’s reputation for high quality, Vermont farmers are advised to follow this FDA guidance.
Harlow said he will have to get rid of about $250,000 worth of produce, about one-sixth of his annual sales.
September, he said, is his busiest time of the season at the farm stand, with local potatoes, peppers, carrots, cabbage and winter squash all overflowing out of baskets.
He said the reality is just starting to sink in.
“Walking around and looking at the fields, it really hit me how much we lost,” he said. “It’s really depressing when you think about it.”
He made it clear that any produce that did come into contact with flood waters was left, and over the following days he turned over thousands of dollars worth of organic vegetables.
The Agriculture Agency says assistance will be available and any farmers who suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Irene should contact their county Farm Services Agency.
The Vermont Economic Development Authority is also allocating up to $10 million in low interest loans to farms and businesses hurt by the floods.
Vern Grubinger, vegetable and berry specialist with University of Vermont Extension, said he has been hearing stories like Harlow’s from farmers all across the state.
Vegetable farms tend to be located on rich, bottom lands, along rivers, and all across Vermont farmers are reporting damage to their crops, machinery and fields.
So far, he said, losses are approaching $2 million.
Grubinger said in some of the most extreme cases, entire fields were washed away, and he said unlike previous floods or storms, Irene pounded the entire state.
But as bad as the flooding was for some, Grubinger said a majority of the farms in Vermont were spared the devastation, and there should be local produce available in the coming months.
“The good news is that most vegetable farms are located above the areas that were flooded,” he said. “In addition, the majority of farms that experienced flooding also have some fields that were not flooded. The result is that there is a lot of fresh, safe produce available.”
Grubinger stressed that consumers should trust any produce that is for sale.
Farmers across the state are in contact with UVM extension and are doing the right thing, as hard as it has been to trash their produce after a long season of hard work.
“Farmers understand what is at stake. Any farmer in Vermont will stand behind what he or she sells,” Grubinger said. “People should know they can buy produce with confidence. If you can’t trust a a farmer, then who can you trust?”