By Clint Thompson
The prolonged dry conditions in Northeast Alabama has forced the region’s fruit and vegetable growers to preserve what moisture remains in the ground, according to Eric Schavey, regional Extension agent in Northeast Alabama.
“For the month of August, everybody was just kind of riding it out. They hadn’t worked any ground, because they’re trying to let it conserve as much moisture as it can. We start working ground, and it’ll dry out even worse,” Schavey said. “Everybody is sitting there waiting on moisture to start working ground, thinking about next year’s crops and everything. We’re just in water conservation mode right now.”
According to the Sept. 18 release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of the counties in the northeast part of the state are abnormally dry.
“I’ll tell you how dry it is, up here at our farm, Aug. 15 is the first date you can put wheat out. I did some ground up and put about 350 pounds of wheat out broadcast, and none of it germinated,” Schavey said. “My ponds are probably 2 ½ feet low.
“You can just see the steam coming off the ground. (Like last week) when I left the house and drove through where it had just rained, like I went through where it was enough time to go to Advance Auto Parts to buy a battery for the four-wheeler and came back and the road was already dry. It evaporated as quickly as it fell.”