Few things fascinate farmers more than weather– and it interests crop insurance agents quite a bit too! Chuck Zimmermann managed to sneak in a few minutes with the historical climatologist who presented at the 2016 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting.
James Garriss of the Browning Report not only studies the history of climate and weather, but also has a background in business, making him the right fit for translating the climate data and explaining how it will affect the industry. In his interview with Chuck he explains weather patterns growers can expect for their area this season, and touches on what crop insurance agents might be busy doing if La Nina visits in August or September.
Garriss also addresses the issue of excitable headlines proclaiming statistics like, “Hottest Summer on Record.” While climatologists can study factors that allow them to look at patterns going back throughout history, scientists have really only been recording weather in the manner we do now since the 1970s.
“When you see those headlines it’s always good to keep in mind that most of those headlines are covering the last 50 years, not the last five hundred,” he reminds us.
Hear more about Garriss’s climate analysis in Chuck’s interview: Interview with James Garriss, The Browning Report