A year after a significant drought impacted farms across the East Coast, some Maritime growers are expressing optimism about their recovery. A combination of timely rainfall and sunny conditions has enabled various crops to regain their strength, although lingering damage from the severe drought of 2025 remains evident.
Danny Dill, a notable pumpkin grower and owner of Howard Dill Enterprises in Windsor, Nova Scotia, described the previous year's drought as unprecedented. “It was a historic drought. Never seen nothing like it in my lifetime. I’m in my 60s now, and some of the people who are in their 90s say they’ve never seen anything like it,” Dill stated during a recent interview.
Experts attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as storms and droughts, to climate change. This phenomenon is becoming a new reality for farmers like Dill, who are witnessing the direct impacts on their operations. Last fall, Dill had to turn away customers due to a pumpkin stock shortage, but he is now confident that he will fulfill all orders this year, thanks to favorable weather conditions.
Despite the recovery, Dill noted that their large pumpkin varieties are smaller than usual, prompting concerns that the previous year’s drought has had lasting effects. “Maybe it’s something to do with that drought, the moisture level in the soil,” he reflected.
Trevor Hadwen, an agroclimate specialist with Agriculture Canada, emphasized that last year's drought was particularly significant for a region usually accustomed to ample rainfall. According to Hadwen, Nova Scotia, eastern Newfoundland, southeastern New Brunswick, and parts of Prince Edward Island experienced severe drought conditions in August. “When we look at how dry it was last year, it was certainly an anomaly in the climate cycle,” he remarked.
Patrick O’Neil, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, called last year’s drought “devastating.” He explained that some farmers could not harvest during peak season due to fire bans and restrictive conditions resulting from oppressive heat and drought in New Brunswick. Wildfires also occurred in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, prompting further restrictions from provincial governments.
A 2020 report by Agriculture Canada highlighted climate change's impacts on agriculture, predicting a range of issues for the Atlantic region, including extended drought patterns, changes in water availability, and rising risks associated with pests and diseases. Additionally, concerns about rising sea levels and storm surges threaten the farming landscape in these areas.
Dill claimed that he started to observe climate change impacts on his farm about 15 years ago, but the last five years have brought a drastic increase in extreme weather events, characterized by flooding, storms, wildfires, and drought. “The dramatic weather events... there’s just no words to describe it,” he expressed, citing the anxiety it generates among farmers in the region.
Similarly, Jordan Eyamie, manager of Webster Farms Ltd. in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, indicated that last year’s drought reduced their yield by approximately 20 percent and disrupted growth in some plants. Although fear lingers about a potential repeat of last summer's conditions, Eyamie noted that the recent rain has provided much-needed relief, particularly for their bean crops. “Watering beans is very, very expensive because it uses a lot of fuel,” she explained.
O’Neil discussed the impact of the drought on wild blueberry plants, which operate on a two-year growth cycle. Even though plants that are currently producing faced stress from the drought, the crop appears to be doing well overall. Hadwen observed that the dry heat led to water shortages affecting all types of crops, including tree fruits, berries, potatoes, and traditional grains, contributing to widespread concern among producers going into the new season.
As of May, the situation began to improve as consistent rainfall replenished lakes, reservoirs, and soil moisture. While it remains too early to assess this season's yields, Hadwen anticipates a gradual recovery. “Depending on when those rains came... some crops may have done really well and recovered quite quickly with those rains, while others may not have,” he noted, acknowledging that some areas still faced drier-than-normal conditions.
This report was first published on September 2, 2026.
