Transcript:

Many people think of the Pacific Northwest as a rainy place, but most of the rain falls in winter.

And Terri Kempton of the Outback Farm at Western Washington University says that as the climate changes, it’s becoming less consistent.

Kempton: “So instead of the kind of constant drizzle, very light rain through all of the months of winter, we’re seeing a big storm, a lot of water running off, flooding, and then there’s just a dry period while we wait for another big storm.”

And summers are getting hotter and drier.

These changes can make it hard for farmers to know when and how much to water their crops.

So two years ago, Outback Farm put soil moisture sensors in some of their fields.

Kempton: “So then I’m not left guessing like, well, it did rain yesterday, but did it go deep enough to matter to the plant roots? Like … I don’t have to dig a hole and stick my hand in it. … I can just, like, boop, read the little sensor that’s already buried underground and it will tell me.”

With this insight, the farmers only watered when it was really needed.

As a result, they went from watering about four times a week to just three times all summer.

Kempton: “So that saves time, and of course it saves water, a lot of water.”

So the sensors will help them adapt to climate change.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media