Rachael Pacella

The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times

SALISBURY – On March 2, Ted Wycall was out in his field, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and getting the soil ready for planting. The next day, that soil lay under nearly 5 inches of snow.

During a particularly tough winter, organic farmers who participate in area markets face the same difficulties as more mainstream growers – with the added challenge of avoiding chemicals that could help save their plants.

Wycall, owner of Greenbranch Farm in Salisbury, said weeds like ryegrass, chickweed and henbit thrive in the cold. As an organic farmer, he cannot use chemicals to combat the problem and must till the ground, then tear up and bury the weeds.

"We just have to roll with the punches," he said. "It's quite the roller coaster. This time of year, you never know what to expect."

The cold temperatures have delayed things for Carmen Pape, who owns Deep Grass Nursery in Greenwood with her husband.

The nursery ships transplants from its greenhouses – such as young peppers, squash, kale and other produce – across the country, in addition to selling locally. Farmers plant and grow the transplants to maturity.

But when temperatures are low, the nursery can't transport the young plants because the trucks aren't heated.

"We have greenhouses full of plants that can't be planted," Pape said. "They reach a peak where they should be planted. After that, there could be issues if you don't plant them on time."

Pape said a mainstream grower could use growth retardants to help, but organic farmers can't.

"When you're certified organic, you're kind of limited to what you can do," she said.

The cold has also created problems that aren't unique to organic farmers: wet fields and frozen ground.

Tim Bell, who has owned Community Organics in Greenwood for eight seasons, said the frozen ground will likely cause a slow start for many farmers who normally get the ball rolling in early March.

"The temperatures are probably the worst thing right now. It's really hard to plant anything with the ground frozen," Bell said. "All those things won't happen here for a while."

Charles Mullikin, owner of Celtic Acres Farm in Dagsboro, said the biggest problem he's run into and heard about from other farmers is the abundance of snow.

"My farm is mud," Mullikin said. "I should have peas planted now, and they should be sprouting now, and I can't get into my farm."

The precipitation has set him back more than a month, and when the farmers markets open for the season, he won't have peas to sell.

For now, farmers will continue preparing for spring. Wycall has recruited members for his farm's Community Supported Agriculture program, hired a crew and ordered equipment.

He plans to start planting on Saturday, and will continue planting every two weeks through October.

"Hopefully the fields will dry out soon enough, so I can get back to getting the fields ready to plant."