During the last week of July 2020, I heard some farmer say “This 2020 drought is worse than 2012.” I didn’t make a remark but, in the fall of 2012, I cut hundreds of . . .
acres of corn silage that was less than knee high and worked with the Hay East group to bring feed from western Canada to the Ottawa Valley to help save some of our grief-stricken farmers.
Many farmers decreased their herds leaving them with fewer animals to pasture and later feed for the winter. Some farmers sold out and several suicides were reported because of extra stress piled onto an already stressed out farmer.
Although there are thousands of acres of corn that will not yield more than half of a normal year, there are also many farms with eigh-foot high corn in July. First and second cut hay yields are recorded as less than half of normal. Pastures are brown and almost bare and most lawns are brown and crunchy when you walk across them. Even with the last few days when rains were recorded of one and a half to two inches, corn and third cut hay crops grew very well and look like almost normal, but most pastures have been grazed down to bare ground and have been tramped by animals constantly walking in search of feed.
Even with these saving rains that we are truly thankful for, most lawns are still showing brown spots and those trampled, over grazed pastures are very slow to respond.
With only one official rain recording station in the entire region farmers are urged to record every rainfall, the amount that fell and all volumes of hay harvested with dates also recorded. Both rainfall and hay yield varies greatly, sometimes only a mile away. This information that is written down may be very valuable if and when assistance is asked for from crop insurance or other relief funds.
Recently there has been much reporting about some activist groups refusing to wear face masks which are strongly recommended by health authorities worldwide. Cell phone use while driving is now a fine-able offence and if this distraction results in someone being killed lawyers are sure to work on behalf of the family of the person who was killed to sue for financial loss. The courts may also lay charges related to vehicular homicide.
Many places are now refusing entry to anyone not wearing a mask. It is now a common practice to test all people who were in the vicinity recently with someone who died with COVID-19. This is to help slowdown the spread of the deadly virus. Anyone refusing to wear a mask could easily be identified and also tested. If that anti-masker tests positive, you may be sure that some lawyer will take up the case and go after financial compensation on behalf of the dead person’s family. Think deeply before refusing to wear a mask.
These last few days of rain has been called, “a million dollar rain.” You don’t have to add up the benefits to very many farms to add up to that million dollars. Don’t let it mask the damage those weeks of dry weather has done to crops, gardens and lawns that will not recover even with this great rain, this late in the growing year.
Farmers are used to facing different problems every year caused by weather that also changes every year. They also appreciate every bit of good weather change that comes. Farmers also realize that they have no control over weather, but try to adjust to survive what comes. Most farmers, young and old, have even got used to carrying a mask in their pocket and wearing it even though it might not smell very hygienic.
This COVID-19 war will not be over as soon as this year’s drought, but let’s all do our part to adjust and win it however we can.
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon on land that has been in his family for generations. gladcrest@gmail.com
