By Barbara Wunder, FFVA communications manager

Growers can’t change the weather Mother Nature brings, but they can predict it and prepare for it in ways their grandparents would have never imagined. Online resources are a big part of today’s weather toolbox.

Among the offerings available to Florida fruit and vegetable growers are the Florida Automated Weather Network, or FAWN, and the Agricultural Emergency Report.

FAWN debuts in 1997

FAWN, an agricultural weather data information service, is operated by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It debuted in 1997 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The Lake Alfred weather station was one of the first of 36 sites throughout Florida where weather data is collected and made available by telephone and online.

Each solar-powered weather station was designed to measure temperatures at two, six and 30 feet above ground. They also measure soil temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, relative humidity, barometric pressure and solar radiation. Weather data is recorded continuously and transmitted to a server in Gainesville at 15-minute intervals. A backup computer is also housed in Gainesville.

FAWN was established with the help of a special appropriation from the 1997 Florida Legislature. The idea to explore such a system began when several grower organizations including FFVA felt it was time to deal with what they saw as a gap in weather information. They formed the Florida Agricultural Weather Task Force in cooperation with UF, which helped obtain the funding for IFAS to develop and operate the network.

Over time, its users expanded beyond agriculturalists. Others interested in the data FAWN provides include water management districts, emergency service agencies, the National Weather Service, private weather forecasters and other industries such as construction and manufacturing.

It is important to note that FAWN does not predict the weather. It provides data that can be used in a variety of ways.

“I believe there are several reasons growers use our program,” said Rick Lusher, director of FAWN.  “One is that we have a suite of management tools. Anyone can collect and publish data - even people with home weather stations can upload data to the Internet - and that is certainly useful. However, we use our data to help growers with cold protection, for example, through our Cold Protection Toolkit – a step-by-step guide to determining when to turn on and off irrigation systems on cold nights.” 

FAWN also features two irrigation schedulers (citrus and landscape) and is developing ones for berry and row crop growers this year. It plans to deploy a low-volume pesticide application tool that will evaluate the conditions at each FAWN site for spraying. 

“Also, all our weather stations are located in rural areas that are more representative of agricultural areas than are the official National Weather Service reporting stations, which are primarily located at airports,” said Lusher.

One selling point for FAWN is that it collects data every 15 minutes versus hourly collections by the National Weather Service. “Growers get more real-time information from our network,” Lusher said. “I believe a final reason growers turn to us is that they know we have reliable data. We have a rigorous maintenance and field-testing program that consists of two full-time and two part-time personnel conducting routine maintenance every eight weeks and testing of sensors to ensure accuracy at least annually at each site,” he added.

South Florida grower Paul Allen swears by FAWN. “This past season FAWN was a wonderful tool when the cold weather held on for such a long time. We could watch temperatures from a specific FAWN location from laptops at home and know when temperatures would be getting to the danger zone,” Allen said. “Having the temperature and wind readings was critical. And having the temperature readings from different altitudes was critical for flying helicopters over crops.”

Ag emergency report goes online
 

Another tool used in the field is the Agricultural Emergency Report, which debuted a couple of years ago. The online report aggregates information from a variety of industry experts, lay persons and staff at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Marketing and Development. Using a blog format allows it to save tax dollars and streamline the process of collecting and posting information as adverse weather develops. Its goal is to “shed light and insight into weather anomalies and how they effect agricultural production in Florida,” said Michael Ryshouwer, international development representative with FDACS who is instrumental in the site’s operation.

“As adverse conditions begin to be forecast, we receive reports and updates from our AG-ER contacts around the state, and we ask how producers are preparing for the assault,” he said.  “Of course, past events often assist us in understanding what can occur, but there are always unusual things – a totally unexpected or a once-in-a-generation experience that tests us to our fullest,” he said.

The site was hot during the unprecedented 11-day January freeze, with 35,087 page loads for the month. Information ranged from firsthand reports of damage to a heads up from the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Department regarding ice on roads near farms. FDACS staff posted relevant forecast maps, detailed reports of temperature observations, articles from publications such as The Packer, and more.

Read posts from the January freeze here.

AG-ER also covered the progress and projected effects of Tropical Storm Bonnie in July.

The site helps FDACS as it works to restore the market for Florida produce after bad weather. “In nearly every case where an adverse event occurs, FDACS monitors it closely and then there is a period of anticipation, planning, reaction, emergency orders, waiting, measurement, gathering impact assessments, and conducting program evaluations to shift or retarget assistance to retail campaign partners. Then we begin working with industry while continuing to closely watch USDA movement reports, Terminal Market Reports, and USDA Pricing,” Ryshouwer said.

For example, within days of the January freeze it became apparent that everything normally being harvested slowed to a near stop. This is often the case but typically within 72 hours, shipments begin quickly recovering.

That wasn’t the case in January, Ryshouwer said. “As the situation was monitored, truck reports, terminal market availabilities and pricing was elevated based on lower supplies. FDACS continued to work directly with our retail partners to encourage them to continue featuring Florida products in ads. However, there were simply shortfalls literally across the board,” he said.

That’s not all
 

Growers have many other online tools which with to de-mystify the elements. FFVA board member Rick Roth knows his way around them. “We use FAWN sometimes. We also get ag emergency e-mails from Gene McAvoy from the Extension Service. And we use other Internet-based weather programs for rain forecasts, radar, rain duration, as well as private forecasts,” said Roth. “It’s a little unbelievable how accurate the temperature forecasts are even up to seven days ahead of freeze events.”

The following are links to popular weather tools. More, including private forecasting companies that tailor their products to their clients, are available in the Industry Resources section of ffva.com. 

FAWN

Agricultural Emergency Report

Weather Central/Florida

National Weather Service - National Hurricane Center

Intellicast

Accuweather