The heat wave that pushed inland temperatures into triple-digits for days is finally wearing off, but farmers are still figuring out how it will affect their crops.
It’s a mixed bag, depending on what a farmer grows.
“Fruit can actually get sunburned,” explains Dave Kranz of the California Farm Bureau. Walnuts and tomatoes can, too. So, Kranz says, some farmers paint a protective coating on the fruits, to help reflect the heat.
Milk production may go down, too, since, Kranz says, “dairy cows will get a little bit stressed in hot weather, just like people can be.”