ZEELAND, Mich. — While we’ve been talking a lot about smoke, drought is still a big concern for West Michigan.
The combination of hot and dry conditions has been plaguing farmers for several weeks now.
Between April and June, West Michigan typically sees an average of 12 inches of rain.
This year we’ve only seen 1/3 of that—getting under a ¼” of rain over the last month alone.
We did get some heavy rain over the last couple of days, but is it too little, too late for some crops?
“Seems like soybeans sometimes will handle it a little bit better than corn. In terms of specialty crops, a lot of it depends on the age of things,” Theresa Sisung, Industry Relations Specialist with Michigan Farm Bureau told FOX 17. “So sometimes with apples or other tree crops depends on those young trees really struggle a lot more than the older trees, because the older trees have much deeper roots.
Some farmers have the luxury of irrigation, whereas others have to rely on Mother Nature alone. Either way, farmers are rolling with the punches to keep their crops alive and growing sufficiently, and looking on the bright side.
“—Better to be dry and add water and then to have it too wet and we can't take it off,” said Phil Visser of Visser Farms. “Crops do better and drier weather. Potatoes for example, if they're underwater 24 hours you're done. Whereas drought you can put some water and get them back.”
The Farm Bureau says it’s too early to know what negative impact the drought could have on consumers.
Right now they say we could be OK, unless the weather continues to stay dry.
