While the soaking rain our state had from Helene made leaps and strides in the progress to end the drought, it came at an undesirable time for farmers.
Raleigh County cattle farmer Rick Snuffer tells WOAY, “Most people lost a certain cut in hay, which is usually half their first cut. So, if you get 100 bails first cut, then you expect another 50 bails set in cut. That’s gone. People have been feeding hay; some people since August. So, they have used up the hay that we have for the winter.”
“So, all that damage is done. And then we had the thing where a lot of the species were just killed. It got so dry, the heat was so bad that the farmers will have to reseed in the spring to get their desirable species growing again.”
Now, most folks are probably thinking, hey, the grass is greening up. You know, I’m starting to mow my grass. Shouldn’t this improve for the farmers going forward to the rest of the fall season? But that’s not the case. Snuffer says, “Well, first thing is, fall season is about over. You get a killing, frost or freeze. We’re talking probably within the next 45 to 60 days at least. We’ll be in that situation. And a lot of the species have already died out.”
A lot of greenery you’re seeing is just weeds or that grass. And it’s just on the surface. It’s not like this time of year. Last time I might have, you know, five or six inches of growth, the cattle grazing down. Now, there’s nothing there, just a little on the ground, a little green paint like autumn.”
What’s the difference between the drought this year and the drought back in 1988?
Snuffer said, “Well, I think this was different. This one hit earlier in the season and stayed longer. We’re kind of affected by the first cut, and hay was short that year and then we had some rain come on that fall and and kind of recovered some. But this one, it’s the worst I’ve seen.”
“And, you know, I’m 69 years old and it’s bad. It was real bad. And people don’t take into consideration the heat combination. We had a drought in 1988, but it was just dry; it didn’t have the heat. This heat and near 100-degree days just sucks the moisture out of the ground. Even if you get a rain shower, it is sucked up the next day.”
“When you get those days in the 90s and you get constant days of that, you know, four or five, even two weeks in the 90s, then those plants kind of go dormant. So, even when they do have rain, they’re not in a growing process. So, there’s little effect to it as far as the growth in the harvest for the cattle. You’re hoping for some moisture this winter that’ll perk into the ground and really get the groundwater back up.”
And what’s the benefit of having a heavy snowpack on the ground during the winter?
Snuffer said, “Well, that’s that’s what we need. I mean, no one wants a lot of snow if you’re out there farming, but you need it. We need it because it melts into the ground slowly. It rejuvenates the groundwater and whether you know it or people know or not, there’s a lot of nitrogen in snow.”
“We get a little bit of fertilization effect from snow. Not a lot, but there is some.”
You were at some of the drought meetings in Morgantown and what important information should folks know about the information that was exchanged at those meetings?
“Well, everybody needs to know if you’re affected by the drought, you need to visit your local USDA offices. There are government benefits that are available for you. It’s not going to make you whole, but it will lessen the sting a little bit. The government’s going to pay you a small fee of loss for every animal that you had and help you recoup that money. Use that money to buy hay or other resources.”
“We also have an emergency conservation program which helps you install some water benefits if you have a shortage of water.”
The historic flooding in western North Carolina hit livestock producers very hard in the last week. If you are able to help them house animals or provide feed or supplies, click here.
