Rising temperatures in key agricultural regions across the United States are leading more farmers to harvest in the middle of the night to safeguard the quality of their crops. There isnโt much data on the pervasiveness of night harvesting, but agriculture experts and farmers said the practice is becoming an important part of the industryโs future.
โInevitably, itโs going to be hotter during the day, and thatโs going to mean even more night farming where itโs feasible,โ said Daniel Sumner, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of California at Davis. โAnd when I say feasible, I mean where itโs profitable.โ
Farmers are adapting as best they can. An entire industry has emerged to cool workers with ice vests and otherย technology. Some farmers are incorporating night harvests into their business for no more than the cost of headlamps, while others are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in machines specifically designed to farm at night.
โThe weather seems to be getting more intense, weโre having to adapt, and weโre working off hours,โ [Alan] Schreiber said. โBut other things stay on the same schedule. The trucks that come pick up produce, they still come at the end of the day. โฆ The days are getting longer.โ
















