Local farmers prepare for possible drought

SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Many local farmers have spent the last several days preparing for harvest season. However, there is potential for a dry spell that could impact crops.

Harvest season is approaching for local farmers and a dry spell is expected to carry on for weeks. Despite this, farmer Joe Eslinger says the weather’s impact is expected to be manageable.

“We’ve been getting things ready and as far as the dry weather goes, we have had a dry August, so we’ve been irrigating quite a little bit,” Eslinger said. “Going into harvest, if we stay dry, I think the elevators and all will have a hard time getting rid of the crop because there won’t be enough place to put it.”

Fortunately, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Ryan says that the drought should not get any worse due to the expected cooler temperatures.

“There’s another cool shot this weekend, and then likely we’ll settle back in the anywhere from mid 70s to mid 80s for highs as we go through the middle of the month,” Ryan said. “Even though it is going to be dry, those temperatures are not going to be hot to the extent where it would potentially make any developing drought worse.”

The USDA ranked Indiana’s corn and soybean crops at 68 percent good to excellent, but Eslinger says the number could have been even higher.

“A month or two ago, I think we probably would have had a record crop, but since dry weather has hit, I think it’s taken some,” Eslinger said. “I don’t foresee that we’ll have the record crop that they are predicting, but everything is really good, it’s just not over-the-top good.”

Indiana’s corn and soybean rating currently sits three percent above the U.S. average, which is a good sign for local farmers.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyWabashValley.com.