A year after Hurricane Irene, some farmers are still grappling with the aftermath.
An early spring followed by cold snaps, a dry summer and an expected spike in feed costs from the drought in the Midwest have added to some farmers’ woes.
But officials say growers are optimistic about the season.
The U-S Department of Agriculture paid farmers nearly $80 million for insurance claims covering storm-damaged farmland in nine Northeast states. More than half the damaged land was in New York.
The biggest concern for Vermont dairy farmer Doug Turner is how he will pay to finish rebuilding riverbanks to prevent water from inundating his fields in Waitsfield again.