I asked 157 Gardeners about Climate Change

Just over 70% of them said yes, they have seen changes in their growing seasons in the past several years.

Now this is far from a scientific study. It was a loose poll and interview type of data collection process. For many, I simply said over the past several growing seasons “have you noticed any changes in the growing season where you live?” I didn’t dive too deep into the details and I am sure I could have. Of the 157 gardeners (some were small time and just gardening in their side yard while for others it was their livlihood) 110 of them said yes. Some of these gardeners have been working in nature for just a few years while others have been at it since the 1970s.

Total: 157 gardeners questioned

Responded with “yes”: 110

Responded with “no”: 14

Responded with varied anwers: 29

Responded with “not sure”: 4

Personally, I think that this is one of the best ways to approach climate change. To bring it on a personal level. It is hard for many people to relate to something on a global level and to have the complicated physics/calculus pushed upon you about climate change. We need to bring it down a notch and make it personal. Ask about changes in the natural world that they have seen locally.

Here are some of the longer responses I received from the question I asked:

“Our hot days, 95 to 105, are getting longer. Its brutal.”

“Yes. Last year I really felt like everything was about two-ish weeks late. Including the ruts for buck season.”

“Every season is different.”

“The sun is just starting it’s 100 year cooling cycle. In 98–99 years it will heat back up with more flares. This is a normal cycle just most people don’t live long enough to see the change first hand over centuries. Not a political statement just a scientific.”

“In my work I talk to a lot of elderly people, many of whom grew up on farms. They talk about 50 & 100 year cycles and share personal stories about 50 year cycles. I recall 50 years ago in NH snow to the window sills, then the levels went down, now they’re back up again…”

“I’ve always pushed the traditional planting dates for warm weather crops, but the last five years or so I’m putting them out a good two weeks earlier than I did twenty years ago. I can’t say for sure how much more time I have in fall because I don’t track that as closely, but I absolutely have extra time at that end, too.”

“I can remember planting earlier in the year, years back. Potatoes were always in the ground by Good Friday. Corn, knee high by the 4th of July. Cool season crops all in by the second week of May. Everything planted by the end of May.”

“…here in Wisconsin, compared to the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the autumns have become warmer and even hotter. 40 years ago, our Cauliflower and broccoli crop was always great in fall…now we have many crop failures due to very late hot spells. Our winters are milder, but spring and summer is about the same in my opinion.”

It was interesting hearing their perspectives but I think that 70% saying yes is most telling. Let me know what you think!