Municipality :
Community : Bradford West Gwillimbury
Lot :
Concession :
Description : Hail Storm Spares Marsh
BRADFORD - The storm which slashed Bradford with golfball-sized hailstones last week spared the bulk of the already ravaged Holland Marsh.
The storm, which struck early last Tuesday evening, moved across the Bradford marsh where farmers reported some damage to lettuce. It continued southeast, missing the Keswick marsh..
Some cars in town were dented by the huge chukns of ice, but no other damage was reported.
Despite escaping the hail storm, many crops are suffering from the extensive moisture caused by the 10 in. total July rainfall.
GRAIN DOWN
Highland farmers report some spring grain is down with the high rainfall, hindering proper filling, and others have had problems getting in the second cut of hay.
"The rainfall has played havoc with the potato crops," said Bob Taylor at the agriculture ministry office in Alliston.
"The corn is late, but the extra moisture really hasn't hurt it that much, " he said.
Total damage is difficult to estimate until the actual harvest begins, but Mr. Taylor warned, 'We need two weeks of dry weather," or losses could be extensive.
TOO EARLY
Bill Williams at the agricultural inspection station in Bradford agreed that much of the damage is hard to assess at this point.
"It's a little too early to estimate hwo sever the damage is. You've got to give the crop a little time to go one way or the other," he said.
He added, however, that many crops are suffering from rot and related diseases because of the wet condiditons.
"The celery is very hard hit...It's affected the quality of the lettuce too. It tends to have a much shorter shelf life."
MUCH HEAVIER
Matt Valk at the muck crops research station reports that rainfall in that section of the marsh has been about twice the normal rate, but notes that points further north, like Cookstown, have received much more.
Sections of the Cookstown marsh duffered heavy damage due to flooding about two weeks ago.
Although water levels are quite high in Lake Simcoe, the pumps on the marsh have been able to handle the heavy rainfalls.
"They've been keeping ahead of it very well," Mr. Valk said.
