Fouke farmer not sweating the summer heat

TEXARKANA, Texas ( KTAL/KSHV ) — When it comes to how the weather affects crops, experts say much of it can come down to timing.

“And so a lot of that corn was grown before the weather started to get really hot and dry. We still have cotton and soybeans primarily in the, in the fields in the area growing and it’s too early to tell, you know, if that’s going to have a negative impact on it or not.” says Brian Triplett. the County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Bowie County.

He says that while there is not much that farmers can do about the heat, dry conditions are a little bit more manageable with irrigation.

“So if they have access to water, they’re definitely out there watering right now trying to supplement the lack of rainfall.” says Triplett.

Which is exactly what one local farmer is doing.

“And my dad said, well, there’s a lot of stuff we can’t do nothing about but not raining isn’t one of them.” says Aubrey Enoch Jr.

He says his father first began began farming on their land in Fouke, AR nearly five decades ago.

“Everything he ever planted, he had irrigation on it before he started.” says Enoch Jr.

For years people came to Enoch’s Berry Farm to pick and purchase blackberries and later blueberries. It is not open to the public anymore but Enoch Jr. maintains the farm so that he and his dog have blueberries to eat, and so that it serves as a tribute to what his father accomplished.

“To show, you know what he did, somebody come out and look at this, where did this come from? Well, my dad did it.” says Enoch Jr.

He says he has been keeping both his blueberries and his father’s memory alive through many summers, and this one is not any different.

“I mean, this is August in Arkansas. It’s, it gets hot.” says Enoch Jr.

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