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 OUT 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 DIFFERENCE.
>> 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 OPTIMISTIC 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 STARTING 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 CHANCE 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,