VIENNA, Ind. (WDRB) -- Another hazy day is expected on Sunday. The wildfire smoke from Canada has had an impact on some farmers in southern Indiana.
Due to the many hazy days we've seen from wildfire smoke, growers said it's taken a little bit longer for some of their crops like tomatoes to be picked off.
The smoke has come from the nearly 400 fires that sparked in Canada's province of British Columbia. Nearly half of the fires were started by lightning strikes from thunderstorms. There have been more than 1,000 fires that have started in British Columbia since April.
Local farms. like Sadona Farms, has been feeling the effects from the wildfire smoke. (WDRB photo)
"They come and they look disappointed and I'm just like, 'I'm talking to my tomatoes, I've been giving them a pep talk turn red,'" Robin Smith said.
Smith has been growing produce on her family farm for decades and more recently brought Sadona Farms to farmers markets.
"Hopefully this week is our week and we're going to get red tomatoes," Smith said.
But her stand has lacked red tomatoes this season as back in June the haze began.
Smith said the reason she suspects such green tomatoes is because of the wildfire smoke.
"You could really see the haze in the air and I really think it's blocked a lot of the sunlight so, you know, which slows your growing," Smith said.
As WDRB Meteorologist Rick DeLuca says, Kentuckiana has seen an unusual amount of hazy days this year.
"Of the 20 air quality alerts so far this year, eight have been issued due to wildfire smoke," DeLuca said.
And the haze has blocked some sunlight.
Local farms. like Sadona Farms, has been feeling the effects from the wildfire smoke. (WDRB photo)
"The shorter wavelengths like yellow, green, violet, they get scattered or reflected and blocked by the smoke and never make it down to the surface," DeLuca said.
As an avid grower, Smith knows the sunlight is important for a nice, red tomato.
"They just really like the heat and the sunlight to turn red for you," Smith said.
Smith said in a normal growing season, they would've picked tomatoes almost a month ago.
"We're waiting for some red tomatoes," Smith said.
But she's holding out and feeling hopefully as one tomato was ripe enough to pick Saturday afternoon.
To read more on the air quality alert issued for Sunday, click here.
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