So far this year we are off to a record start with 887 pounds of produce delivered to the food pantry, compared to 661, 843, 871, and 850 pounds of produced delivered by this time for the next best four years.
At the top of the list so far is 174 pounds of bok choy, 79 pounds of tomatoes, 78 pounds of zucchini, 52 pounds of potatoes, 43 pounds of both beans and eggplant, 40 pounds of cucumbers, 39 pounds of both cabbage and lettuce, 34 pounds of rhubarb, 32 pounds of swiss chard, 27 pounds of onions, 24 pounds of peppers, 23 pounds of cherry tomatoes, 22 pounds of radishes, 18 pounds of basil, 16 pounds of leeks, 15 pounds of squash, 11 pounds of parslane, plus 10 pounds of both broccoli and arugula, and 8 pounds of asparagus. We’ve also harvested beets, carrots, cauliflower, chives, dill, garlic, kale, mint, oregano, parsley, peas, rosemary, sage, scallions, spinach, tarragon, and thyme.
But…. we are experiencing extreme drought in Lexington.
According to the National Weather Service – Lexington has a Statistical Precipitation Index of between -2.0 and -2.5.
That means that the precipitation we have had this year is 2 to 2.5 standard deviations less than is average for this time of year.
Another way to look at this is that there is between 1 in 50 and 1 in a 100 probability that we would be experiencing a drought this severe.
The Board of Selectmen are considering if we should take any action to conserve water on Monday night at about 7:15 PM, if you want to weigh in.