Carper, Coons, Carney seek Washington aid as drought, heat bake Del.
By Craig Anderson
Delaware State News
DOVER — As a welcome rain dropped steadily in Kent County for a few minutes Wednesday morning before dissipating, three Delaware congressmen were roughly 100 miles away preparing for a meeting designed to find relief for the beleaguered agricultural and farming community nationwide.
Sens. Chris Coons and Thomas R. Carper joined Rep. John Carney in a bipartisan group of politicians that met with United States Department of Agriculture leaders in Washington to discuss options for responding to the worst stretch of combined drought and heat since at least 1988, if not even 10 years before that.
The federal government has declared at least 1,300 counties in 29 states as natural disaster areas, including the First State’s Kent and Sussex counties.
“Farmers have known for generations that their families’ lives, security and prosperity are at the whim of the weather, and there’s no doubt that the current situation has reached a devastating level both in Delaware and nationwide,” Sen. Coons, D-Del., said Wednesday morning.
All three lawmakers visited Delaware in the past week to survey the damage, which has essentially wiped out much of the state’s corn crop.
Rep. Carney, D-Del., was in Harrington last week and said “Delaware farmers went into this year with very high hopes. But, when I visited the State Fair last week, I spoke with a lot of farmers, particularly corn and soybean growers, whose harvests have been devastated by this year’s drought, as well as poultry farmers who are bearing the brunt of high feed prices.
“It’s a terrible situation for those families, communities, and the state as a whole. Agriculture is one of Delaware’s main industries, and plays a critical role in strengthening the state’s economy. It’s my hope that we can do our part in Washington by taking the steps necessary to responsibly provide needed assistance to farmers that have been impacted.”
Sen. Carper, D-Del., visited the Georgetown area and was alarmed by the threat to corn that was irrigated, and the obvious devastation to the crop that had not been watered. According to the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 30 to 40 percent of the state’s 195,000 acres of cropland is irrigated, and the rest has been dried to dangerous levels.
Help could be on the way through earlier 2012 Farm Bill legislation passed by the Senate.
According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, “Every five years, Congress passes a bundle of legislation, commonly called the ‘Farm Bill’ that sets national agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and forestry policy. The last Farm Bill was passed in 2008, and expires in 2012.
“The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240) represents the most significant reforms in agricultural policy in decades. The bill ends direct payments, streamlines and consolidates programs, and reduces the deficit by $23 billion. It also strengthens top priorities that help farmers, ranchers, and small business owners continue to grow our economy.
Sen. Carper applauded the Senate’s action in June, but is waiting for final approval by the House.
“While crops are suffering in Delaware and across the nation, the Senate passed a bipartisan Farm Bill earlier in June that contains several provisions, including an improved crop insurance program, that could ease the devastating impact of the drought on farmers,” Sen. Carper said. “These provisions are supported by many of my colleagues in the Senate, including me, who voted in favor of the 2012 Farm Bill, and I urge the House to take action on this legislation as soon as possible.”
Fourth generation optimism
Working a 1,000-acre farm just west of Dover in Hartly, fourth generation farmer Johnson Thompson remained optimistic that the diversity of his families spread could weather the current storm, or lack thereof.
“You always figure that the next year is going to be better, though we lost most of our corn in 2011 too,” said Mr. Thompson, who noted that only 3 percent of family farms reach the fourth generation. “We’re doing all we can as far as nutrient management, but at some point there’s nothing else you can do and are at the mercy of the weather.”
While the 41-year- old said that his non-irrigated corn crop was pretty much gone, enough rain had dropped recently to keep soybeans alive and offer potential for a solid harvest. Mr. Thompson had to replant a few dry spots of the crop, but still planned on a harvest that could run anywhere from late September to November. It’s too late for a mature corn harvest that typically comes at the last part of August, he said.
Crop insurance that is based on proven yield history and pricing has eased the stress and financial burden of the withered corn prospects, Mr. Thompson said. His family is also relying on the income from three poultry houses with a 120,000 capacity, along with 140 dairy heifers and a machine repair shop.
“It’s very challenging, but you learn from the start how important it is to not rely on just one income source and spread the risk,” Mr. Thompson said. “ You tighten your belt, find other ways to earn and produce, and get through it.”
Woodside’s Mary Gooden, the Delaware Farm Bureau’s director, said that farmers are looking for even the smallest sign of survival. Even recent heavy dew and fog was seen as a boon to crops.
“The crops are drying up,” Ms. Gooden said. “Some farmers have wells for irrigation, some have crop insurance and some are chopping the corn into silage. We’re right in the midst of this drought and its terrible living through it.”
The State Department of Agriculture issued a warning to animal owners in late June regarding the concerns of heat-related stress for livestock and pets. Farmers were urged to watch their intensively managed or fattened livestock, or those confined in enclosures with limited access to shade.
Delaware State Veterinarian and head of the Department’s Poultry and Animal Health Section Dr. Heather Hirst said that signs of heat stress can include livestock crowding together at the water tank or in the shade, panting, increased salivation, restlessness or muscle spasms, poultry experiencing prolonged panting.
“These symptoms are preventable and easily treatable,” Dr. Hirst said. “By being alert, owners can help their animals recover quickly.”
Looking ahead
Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee is concerned of what the current conditions will do to markets this fall. In a state where raising chickens is paramount to the rural economy, higher corn costs could raise prices to feed poultry, lessen outputs and lower critical employment opportunities that have wide ranging repercussions beyond just the farm industry.
“It will play out after the harvest season,” Secretary Kee said. “Seventy percent of the cost of raising chickens is related to feed cost. A high demand for corn due to a lack of supply will raise prices.”
Meteorologist Carl Erickson of Accuweather.com said that while fall temperatures should be near normal, Delaware’s rainfall could be near or slightly higher than normal beginning in late August and September. He said that from March through July in the state, rain totals in Dover were roughly half the typical 20.53 inches that fall. Also, the average temperature in Central Delaware was 2.2 degrees higher than average. “It’s drier and a bit hotter than normal in the state, but I haven’t heard that it’s extreme or rare conditions,” Mr. Erickson said. “The heat and humidity, along with the drought, hit the nation’s middle section worse.”
Mr. Erickson said that while Delaware has had bouts of rain and several days of precipitation, the inconsistency of the two weeks or more of dry that follow have hardened the ground and increased runoff.
“The groundwater table is suffering everywhere,” he said.
Secretary Kee lives in Lincoln and said the inconsistent showers have left the land spotty at best for potential crop growth.
“Where I live, the corn can look good for two or three miles, but then five miles from that it looks like they are trying to grow crops in a desert,” Secretary Kee said.
