http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

A Wellsburg farmer has been irrigating almost nonstop to keep his strawberries, tomatoes and green beans alive and producing. He still lost 80% of his green beans, and the potatoes were “about 50 to 60% less than anticipated,” and smaller, too. Overall crop production was less than normal and the produce was smaller. The sweet corn will not survive the dry summer, and the pumpkins were losing the battle, as well. The soil was a fine powder like baby powder and rose in a cloud when stirred up while tilling. No field preparation was being done because it was so dry. Employees spent their time moving pipes to irrigate crops. The drought and heat will likely put a damper on the corn maze and pumpkin patch. The corn ought to be about three to four feet tall, but was barely a foot in height. The landscape was not as scenic as usual, either. Visitors came out to photograph flowers, but the farmer described the scene at “bleak” and “dismal.” Several fields that were seeded with winter crops had not germinated due to the lack of water. The ground was bare. A beekeeper has been providing sugar water for his bees to compensate for the decreased nectar, due to drought. He estimated that he has already used nearly 600 pounds of sugar and does not expect to harvest much honey in the fall. The beekeeper has also noticed more yellow jackets and deer this year. Deer usually graze new clover, but were gravitating toward other vegetation. The farmer’s garden is protected by an electric fence, which did not shock the deer because the ground was too dry. Overall, farm produce was about 50% of normal. The Wheeling Intelligencer (W.V.), Aug 27, 2024