Colorado's farmers working to plan and plant amid dry winter, rainy spring

As Colorado experiences drought conditions and spring rain, farmers in Boulder County say they're working harder than ever to plan and plant accordingly. That includes Jason Griffith at his family farm, Aspen Moon.

"Finally," Griffith said, "The soil just feels alive again, you know, there's like a texture to it, and it holds. It was just like dust and crumbles before."

Aspen Moon Farm has received close to two inches of rain over the past few days, which has turned some previously dry fields into mud. But once that dries, Griffith says they'll start planting as much as they can.

"That's a month's worth of water, we would say for sure, but that's not August and September water that we still need," Griffith said, "Rain is not snowpack."

Griffith says the rain is a much-needed, but temporary solution. The Boulder County Farmers' Market shared that many of their farmers feel the same way.

Parts of Colorado's Front Range saw more rain in the last two weeks than the previous eight months combined, but a dry start to summer could still be ahead. Griffith says spring hail damage has already impacted some crops as well.

"Now I don't know what to do. Now, am I back to full planting, or do I go back to less? But the more I plant, the more costs I endure, the more I have to ride it out all the way to the end," Griffith said.

To manage that risk, Griffith plans to plant about a quarter fewer crops than he typically would, and with a thinner margin, Griffith says he's relying on customers more heavily as a result.

"We are planting more for sure, and we feel a little better about that, but we're still planting in the unknown," he said, "We're hoping that the farm stand... continues to thrive, even though it might look a little different this year."