The P.E.I. Potato Board says the wet weather this fall has created a challenging season for the farmers still working to bring in the remainder of their crop. Farmers like Jason Webster say this year, they have been at the mercy of Mother Nature.
“I’ve been on the farm now for 30 years, my father and uncle that started before us been at it for 48 to 50 years,” said Webster, co-owner of MWM Farms. “And neither of them have ever seen an October with this much rain…. It’s just been really hard, hard to get anything done with the rainy weather.”
Webster said potatoes need to be dry and not too cold to be harvested without the risk of damage. The amount of rain the Island has seen this fall has left few days where this is possible. Normally Webster aims to have all of his crops harvested by the end of October — before the frost sets in. Webster says he’s one of many Island farmers dealing with the stress.