Waiting for rain

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The heat warning continues and still very little rain which makes it tough for farmers to do their job. As farmers across this province are suffering through drought conditions the dark side of all this sunshine is the potential for scarce and expensive local produce.

This is a really dry year in Norfolk county, the last good rain Charlie Welsh remembers was in March at the Welsh Brothers’ farm in Scotland Ontario. They’ve had to water almost every day, sometimes 24 hours a day, as the levels in their spring-fed ponds get dangerously low.

“There’s tremendous expense in the fuel to run those pumps and then the labour to actually do it, too. Not to mention the high U.S dollar over winter time, where we bought all our seed and supplies for the season.”

Welsh figures he might get half the crop size this year. He will have far less corn to sell, and he may not be able to charge more for the corn he does sell. So don’t be surprised if local corn prices are higher than you’re used to, but keep in mind why, and remember the local farmers still compete with international distributors who can afford lower prices.