% WISCONSIN DOT-ORG/NEWS.
% MANY FARMERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT
% THEIR CROPS AS DRY CONDITIONS
% CONTINUE THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE
% STATE.
% THIS PAST MAY WAS THE FOURTH
% DRIEST ON RECORD AND JUNE ISN'T
% PROVIDING THE MUCH-NEEDED
% RAINFALL SO FAR.
% THIS MAP SHOWS HOW MUCH RAIN THE
% STATE HAS GOTTEN IN JUNE
% COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS, WITH
% LARGE SWATHS RECEIVING 25% OR
% LESS THAN AVERAGE, AND THE U.S.
% DROUGHT MONITOR SHOWS THE
% MAJORITY OF THE STATE IN
% MODERATE DROUGHT WITH THE
% NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST CORNERS
% NEWLY DESIGNATED AS SEVERE
% DROUGHT.%MARISA WOJCIK SPOKE
WITH A
% FARMER AND A UW EXTENSION
% EDUCATOR TO FIND OUT HOW PARCHED
% CROPS ARE FARING.
% >> I RUN ABOUT 450 ACRES.
% WE FARM CORN, BEANS, AND HAY.
% >> DAN TURNER IS A CASH CROP
% FARMER IN THE ROLLING HILLS OF
% MONTICELLO.%>> IT STARTED OU
T GREAT AND
% EVERYTHING GOT PLANTED WHEN IT
% WAS SUPPOSED TO AND EVERYTHING
% TOOK OFF GOOD, AND THE BRAKES
% GOT PUT ON BECAUSE OF THE DRY
% WEATHER.%IT'S GETTING REALLY,
REALLY DRY
% RIGHT NOW.
% AND IF WE DON'T GET SOME RAIN
% HERE PRETTY SOON, WE DON'T KNOW
% HOW BAD IT'S GOING TO BE FOR
% SURE BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GOING
% INTO THE DRIEST PART OF THE
% SUMMER ON A NORMAL YEAR, JULY
% AND AUGUST, AND WE'RE ALREADY
% DRY.
% SO IT'S KIND OF -- IT'S GETTING
% VERY CONCERNING.
% THE NEXT 10 DAYS IS REALLY GOING
% TO BE CRITICAL FOR THIS CORN AND
% BEANS AND THE HAY, ESPECIALLY,
% BECAUSE THE HAY TAKES A LOT OF
% MOISTURE.
% SO IT'S VERY CONCERNING RIGHT
% NOW.
% I'VE NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS.
% I'VE FARMED MY WHOLE LIFE.
% IN 2012, WE HAD QUITE A DROUGHT,
% BUT THAT WAS LATER IN THE YEAR,
% BUT TO BE THIS DRY THIS EARLY IS
% KIND OF UNHEARD OF.
% >> WE HAD DECENT WINTER
% MOISTURE, AND OUR SOILS WERE IN
% REALLY GOOD SHAPE THIS SPRING,
% SO THE CROPS ARE STILL TAKING
% ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THAT GOOD
% EARLY SPRING MOISTURE, BUT WE
% JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE MOISTURE
% REPLENISHED IN THE SOIL JUST YET
% THIS YEAR.
% >> JOSH KAMPS IS THE REGIONAL
% CROPS AND SOILS EDUCATOR FOR UW
% EXTENSION IN SOUTHWEST
% WISCONSIN.%TURNER CALLED THE
LOCAL TENSION
% OFFICE.%>> THAT'S QUITE A DI
FFERENCE.
% >> FOR HELP.
% >> THIS PLANT, ACTUALLY, IF IT'S
% GOING TO GROW WELL, IT'S GOING
% TO OPEN UP SO THAT IT HAS ALL
% THIS SURFACE AREA FOR
% PHOTOSYNTHESIS, BUT SINCE IT'S
% SO DRY, IT'S TRYING TO ROLL UP
% TO CONSERVE THE MOISTURE TO NOT
% TRANSPIRE ANY EXTRA OUT OF THE
% PLANT.
% >> WE REALLY ARE JUST NEEDING TO
% BE PATIENT FOR SOME MORE
% RAINFALL TO HELP OUR CROPS TAKE
% THE NEXT STEP.
% >> HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THEY HOLD
% OUT?%>> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD
% QUESTION.%I'M GOING TO BE OP
TIMISTIC UNTIL
% WE CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY.
% AT THAT POINT, I THINK WE'RE
% HITTING KIND OF A REAL MILESTONE
% WITH THE FACT THAT SOME CROPS
% MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REVERSE
% COURSE.
% I KNOW WE'RE VISITING HERE ABOUT
% ALFALFA ON THIS PARTICULAR FARM,
% AND ALFALFA IS AN INTERESTING
% CROP IN THAT IT CAN ACTUALLY GO
% DORMANT AND IT CAN MAINTAIN ITS
% LIFE AND THEN IT COULD ACTUALLY
% COME BACK OUT OF DORMANCY AND
% PRODUCE LATER IN THE SEASON.
% MORE OF OUR TRADITIONAL ANNUAL
% CROPS WILL NOT DO THAT.
% CORN, SOYBEAN, FOR INSTANCE.
% ONCE THEY'VE REACHED THAT
% PERMANENT WILTING POINT, THEY
% REALLY WON'T BE ABLE TO REBOUND
% THE SAME AS SOME OF OUR
% PERENNIAL FORAGES WILL.
% >> THEY KEEP TELLING US WE'RE
% GOING TO GET RAIN IN JULY, SO
% THAT'S ALL WE CAN PRAY FOR RIGHT
% NOW, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO NEED
% QUITE A BIT OF IT.
% THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO.
% I THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING TO CUT
% HAY.%A LOT OF GUYS ARE STARTI
NG TO
% CUT THEIR SECOND CROP HAY.
% I DECIDED I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF
% BECAUSE IT'S JUST -- THE HAY IS
% UNDER SUCH STRESS AND IF WE
% DON'T GET RAIN, WILL IT COME
% BACK?%I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT
OF IFs
% IN THE EQUATION, AND I SELL A
% LOT OF HAY AND I DON'T WANT TO
% LOSE MY HAY CROP.
% THE CORN AND BEAN, THEY HAVE AT
% LEAST ANOTHER 10 DAYS THAT
% THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS
% PRETTY DECENTLY, I THINK, IN
% MOST AREAS, BUT WITHIN THE NEXT
% 10 DAYS, IF THEY DON'T GET RAIN,
% THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN A WORLD
% OF HURT.
% I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY -- I'M
% ASSUMING WE'VE ALREADY LOST SOME
% OF THE YIELD.
% >> WHAT ARE YOU MOST CONCERNED
% ABOUT AT THIS POINT?
% >> I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT
% BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOME ANSWERS
% WHEN GROWERS CALL, BEING ABLE TO
% HELP THEM STAY POSITIVE, HELP
% THEM THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT
% ARE THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE
% IMMEDIATELY.%THERE MAY BE A C
HANCE THAT WE
% COULD PLANT A SECOND CROP IF WE
% DO GET SOME LATE SEASON RAIN, SO
% MAYBE MIDDLE OF JULY TO
% BEGINNING OF AUGUST.
% WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR CROP
% INSURANCE AGENT TO MAKE SURE
% THAT WE DON'T AFFECT THE CROP
% INSURANCE COVERAGE ON OUR FIRST
% DROUGCROP, BUT THERE MAY BE A CE
% TO GROW A SECOND CROP.
% WE DON'T HAVE 100% INSURANCE
% COVERAGE, BUT IT WILL DEFINITELY
% HELP COVER THE INPUT SIDE OF
% MOST FARMS AND THEN GIVE THEM
% THAT CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO
% PARTICIPATE AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
% >> I DO HAVE CROP INSURANCE.
% SO YOU ALMOST HAVE TO, AND THIS
% DAY AND AGE, BECAUSE THE INPUT
% COSTS ARE SO HIGH THAT YOU JUST
% CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE IT.
% I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE A TOTAL
% LOSS, YOU COULD BE IN BIG
% TROUBLE.
% I MEAN, IT'S NOT EASY.
% >> ARE CROPS IN GENERAL
% PREPARED -- OR ARE FARMERS
% PREPARED TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF
% BACK-AND-FORTH OF EXTREMES?
% >> A LOT OF IT STARTS WITH HOW
% WE MANAGE OR SOIL.
% WHEN WE'RE IN MORE OF A WEATHER
% RISK SITUATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT
% DOES THAT DO TO OUR CHANCE OF
% HAVING A CROP?
% SO I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO
% LEARN ALL THAT AND TRY TO FIGURE
% OUT HOW THOSE ALL FIT TOGETHER.
% I KNOW THERE'S CLIMATE SMART
% WORK BEING DONE AT U.S.D.A., SO
% HOPEFULLY THAT HAS IN MIND THE
% GOALS OF FARMERS FOR THEIR LAND
% MANAGEMENT, TOO, BECAUSE
% ULTIMATELY, THAT REALLY IS WHERE
% WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE BIGGEST
% RESULTS, IS WHAT OUR PRIVATE
% LANDOWNERS HAVE THE POWER TO
% MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST
% FOR THEM.
% WE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE PAST
% OF OTHER DROUGHTS OR OTHER TIMES
% THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY STRESSFUL
% ON OUR FARM AND ON OUR FAMILY.
% I THINK GOING IN AND SAY HI TO
% YOUR NEIGHBORS, ASK THEM HOW
% THEY'RE DOING, THIS CAN REALLY
% CAUSE HAVOC ON THE PSYCHE OF OUR
% FARMERS.
% >> YOUR MIND IS GOING A HUNDRED
% MILES AN HOUR, HOW CAN YOU DO
% SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO TRY TO
% OFF-SET THIS EXPENSE IF YOU'RE
% NOT GOING TO MAKE THIS AMOUNT OF
% MONEY BECAUSE YOUR CROPS ARE
% GOING TO BE DOWN.
% YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING
% ON.%I MEAN, IT KEEPS YOU UP
AT
% NIGHT.
% >> REPORTING FROM MO MONTICELLO,