With New York experiencing high levels of poor air quality this week, coupled with dry weather, one local farmer said the hazy conditions could cause problems for her early crops.

Kara Atwood, a farmer at Kubecka Farms in Kirkville, said the smoke is exacerbating the drought they are already facing.

“It is reducing plant growth from a slow crawl to a complete standstill,” she said. “This is almost like a one-two punch to early crops.”

Atwood said with the harshness of the dry soil, recent high temperatures, and now the reduction in photosynthesis due to chlorophyll damage and impeded movement of carbon dioxide from the smoke, their early yield harvest will be much less than they hoped.

“We are uncertain as to what other effects this might have moving further into the growing season, but the likelihood of further issues continues to increase the longer this smoke is here,” Atwood said.