Farmers "Desperate For Rain" As Worst Drought In Years Bakes Eastern United States - WP

[hatrack]

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In August, all of Maryland and seven Virginia counties were declared federal drought disaster areas. Today, Virginia officials are expected to announce that eight additional counties, including Loudoun, received the U.S. Department of Agriculture designation, which allows farmers to qualify for low-interest loans.

The hot, dry weather is being felt across the country. Experts call it the worst drought to hit the United States in years, parching wide swaths of the country, from Georgia and Alabama to New England and west to Minnesota and Wisconsin. "This is a real doozy," said Mark Svoboda, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center in Nebraska. At livestock sales in Virginia, farmers are selling cattle that can't find enough to eat on parched pastures. And the Loudoun Hay & Straw Buyer's Guide showed last month that more than half the listed producers were sold out or limiting sales -- a bad sign for farmers who need hay to feed livestock through the winter.

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Bill McKinnon, executive secretary of the Virginia Cattlemen's Association, said farmers who typically rely on lush pastures to keep cattle fed during the summer and fall have had to supplement with hay for weeks. He said some farmers have reduced the size of their herds, even selling "good mamas" to ensure there's enough feed to make it through the winter. "It's like selling parts of your factory," McKinnon said. "She's the one that turns out that calf that makes a product that's on the dinner table. She's the gold mine."

In Southern Maryland, corn has shriveled, and farmers are hoping for rain soon to moisten the ground before they plant barley, wheat and other grains this month. "The next concern will be people that plant small grain, cover crops, wheat and barley, that we get enough rain to germinate those and get them up and growing before winter sets in," said Earl F. "Buddy" Hance, Maryland's deputy secretary for agriculture. Hance, a Calvert County farmer, said his corn has been devastated. He normally harvests about 130 bushels on his Port Republic farm, but this season yielded only 30.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/10/AR2007091002309.html

[stuntcat]

1. (Arlington, VA)

(okay I'm not a farmer but I am a gardener and it's rained ONCE since Spring.
Today is the second rain we've had and it's hardly a drizzle, all I can say for today's "20% chance" is at least the sun's not daking the f'ing life out of everything for a few hours. (I'm really upset about this today, so excuse me :mad:)(also someone's trying to argue with me right now about why I should have more hope for Humans decause God's on our side)(also my keydoard is droken))

[emmadoggy]

2. stuntcat...

:hug:

[AlecBGreen]

3. I 2nd that

:hug:

Frederick Co. has been baking all year. Until today we had 1 (one) rain in the summer. All of June, all of July, all of August, well into September we had ONE day of rain. Thank God our nearby stream is still flowing, otherwise our whole crop woulda been shot.

[stuntcat]

4. compared..

then next to this article and your crop I can't feel so sorry for myself :hug: :hug: I'm just glad you've had some water!