Posted on 05/20/2010 7:04:16 AM PDT by GailA
While May's flood waters are receding into memory for most Memphians, they remain a stark reality for many West Tennessee farmers.
These growers still have fields under water or too wet to plant, planted acres wiped clean of seed, fertilizer and topsoil, and still-broken equipment and supply lines on their property.
Many are taking a wait-and-see approach to what they will plant as their prior expectations were washed away by what some call a once-in-a-lifetime weather event.
A cotton plant that wasn't washed away pokes out of debris left by flooding in one of Moody's fields. When the water recedes, he says he'll plant soybeans. Water surrounds part of an irrigation system in one of Jimmy Moody's cotton fields in Dyer County. Moody, whose family has been farming land in Dyer since the 1920s, said that his planted cotton crop will likely yield one-third of what was predicted before the storm. "This is by far the most devastating flooding we've ever seen here," said Robert Hayes, director of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's West Tennessee Research and Education Center.
(Excerpt) Read more at commercialappeal.com ...
Nearly 40,000 acres are under water in hard-hit Dyer County, according to UT area specialist integrated pest management Gene Miles. Of that, 8,000 acres of crops are submerged -- 5,000 acres of corn, 2,000 acres of wheat and 1,000 acres of cotton.
"We had a pretty wet situation last year, and this is much worse," Miles said. "People are just waiting to start planting, hoping that these fronts will stop coming through."
We’ve had > 11 inches of rain in mid-Missouri in the past seven days. North of us, corn is in but the seed may rot because of chilly weather. Everything is wet, wet, wet.
Welcome to what many farmers in Eastern Arkansas faced this time last year. Many thousands of acres were still under water in that area.
But that kind of comes with the territory - some of the best farm land in our country is located in flood plains (that is a big part of WHY they are good farm land). But with that comes the danger of flooding.
I’m in Memphis, going toward the Navy base, the fields that should have seedlings in them are bare ugly looking areas. We’ve had hard rain every weekend so far this month. No chance to dry out.
There is still time to plant rice, perhaps the highest yielding hydrophillic crop there ia.
I live out in Lucy and many of the fields are too wet. But one farmer got his corn in early this year and it's already knee-high over by the elementary school. That field is on slightly higher ground.
I'm in New Mexico, I have had to haul in manure and almost daily I flood my land to make it grow.............you guys just want the flood to end.
We are praying for you.
Plant rice?
These farmers are geared and have equipment to farm corn, cotton or soy bean. Arkansas is where we see rice fields.
Stupid headline. Just where in the article did the author say what this “plant B” was, how to obtain seeds, how they were going to get it into the flooded soil, what the growing period was, how to harvest it, and if there was a market for it?
On some of the more flood prone lands in NW Minnesota, the wild rice actually became a permanent part of the crop plans after that season. Prior to that, wild rice was an exotic, expensive seasonal crop. Now it has become part of the local cusine.
Has FEMA showed up there yet?
What about Obama?
No?
Perhaps THIS is the reason for his absense there and in the gulf states-
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html#/president?view=race08
On a lighter note, my garden at my house is doing much better than the farmers fields. We're eating broccoli, romaine, and iceberg lettuce this week. Next week the cabbage will be in, and the cauliflower the week after that. I already have small tomatoes and squash, and more strawberries than my 2 girls can eat!
After the heavy rains ruined the garden and turned the tomatoes to mush last year, I made some changes that have really paid off!
I think the FEMA guy's name is "Brownie", or something like that, but I can tell ya that he and FEMA are doing a heck of a job here, too!
Counce - Now you’re getting into my old stomping grounds. I grew up in Corinth, and Counce was on the way to Pickwick Lake. Not exactly a metropolis, but they have a heck of an open market there. I don’t know what they call it, but it’s like a flea market on steroids.
There is a big paper mill in Counce. I sold them heavy fuel. Likewise IP in Memphis.
Driving over to Counce, I noticed that I passed the Tennessee Bird Dog Hall of Fame (I think that’s its name.) That’s my kind of people.
The rain this year has been a blessing and also hell. Some areas are still too dry and others are flooded.
Some areas of California have had record rain. The Central Valley farms with irrigation water from water storage. A new dam has not been built for more than 50 years. While the water runoff flows to the ocean or is diverted to a two inch fish, farmers on the west side are unable to farm. It is heartbreaking to see fruit trees and vineyards dying. There is no or very little work for the farmworkers and farmers are facing a year of no earnings.
Thanks for the ping, Gail. The people of Tennessee are in my prayers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.