While the entire world may be embroiled with the seemingly never-ending debate about climate change — the causes, its short- and long-term realities — our produce farmers in New Jersey simply know that for now they must deal with the effects of weather-related changes in growing conditions.

Certainly the past couple years have shown us in New Jersey just how unpredictable this “new climate” can be. First, in August 2011, Hurricane Irene dumped inches upon inches of rain on what was already water-soaked ground from weeks of rainy weather right before Irene hit. The combination left many crops here underwater and not fit for harvesting, or just impossible to reach due to washed out roads and bridges.

Last October, as the world knows, Superstorm Sandy and a quickly following northeaster roared up New Jersey’s coastline, dumping less water than Irene but packing much more powerful winds. The timing of Sandy, arriving when much of New Jersey’s fall harvest had been completed, saved our farmers from the kind of widespread crop damage seen in Irene. Our aquaculture operators, however, bore Sandy’s brunt and are struggling to recover.

What both storms demonstrated, and the weather so far this year has underscored, is that there is no debate that weather patterns are becoming much more unpredictable, adding to the long list of variables our farmers encounter on a yearly basis. This spring has seen cooler, wetter weather than normal in New Jersey, leading many farmers to get a later start on their seasons than they normally would. New Jersey just narrowly escaped frost again in the overnight of May 13-14.

However, these conditions are not unique to New Jersey. Weird, wildly fluctuating weather seems to be the norm these days. As I write this, the Midwest was swinging from 100 degrees one day to 70 degrees the next, all in mid-May. The upper Midwest saw snow (more than a foot of it) earlier in May.

What all this portends long-term is something even leading scientists disagree upon. Our farmers, though, simply must contend with it today.

Fortunately, the produce industry itself has been evolving as well, becoming better able to adapt its supply-chain capabilities. This evolution means the produce farmer, and those to whom he sells, can and must act quicker, with more agility, than in the one construct, predictability-dependent systems of the past. In order to make it all work, however, greater flexibility and the ability to switch gears in the logistics chain are critical.

Here is where it gets complicated. No one questions the need to do all we can as an industry to ensure a safe food supply. However, many of the preventive steps being called for in the proposed rules generated by the Food Safety Modernization Act seem reliant upon a predictability of conditions on farms that may be less achievable in a time of wild weather mood swings.

For example, the irrigation-water testing called for as frequently as weekly in the proposed Produce Safety Rule could be thrown a curve by the short-term effects of a storm or extreme hot spell that, if the water were tested less frequently, would even out over time.

Additionally, measures the farmer takes to prevent wildlife intrusion on his farm, as called for in the rule, could prove insufficient if wildlife was forced to leave its habitat in droves as the result of flooding or heat-sparked wildfires.

The current moves by some groups and officials to curtail the use of GMO crops also does not adequately take into account the emerging wild weather patterns. If anything, we may need more use of crops modified to deal with extreme drought conditions, like those seen in the Midwest last year. If such a widespread and prolonged drought were to occur in areas of heavy produce farming, the impacts to the nation’s food supply would be significant.

“Expect the unexpected” is a hackneyed show-biz phrase meant to entice an audience with the promise of seeing something they’ve never seen before. For the produce industry, though, it appears this will be its daily weather report for the foreseeable future. Planning to be more nimble in how we respond to the way weather impacts our farmers will be the best defense for our industry and its critical standing in American commerce and security.

They say everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it. While we can’t stop a storm or a drought or frosty temperatures after Mother’s Day from occurring, we can prepare to ensure that unpredictable weather doesn’t have irreparable impacts on the produce industry, which is already known for its resiliency.

We continue to engage the FDA as it rolls out rules required by the FSMA, so that the agency does not lose sight of the ultimate goal of ensuring a safe, dependable, reliable American produce system, and to insist that our international partners share and demonstrate that commitment.

Douglas H. Fisher is the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture.