NC farmers working overtime to battle drought as costs rise
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Severe drought conditions are pushing North Carolina farmers to work overtime to protect their crops, even as families look for ways to save money during strawberry-picking season.
On Thursday, Jenna Dupree spent her afternoon gathering strawberries at Grasshopper Farms.
"When you come, and you pick, you get so much more than what you're paying in the grocery store," she said.
Farm operator Joshau Logan said he expects more families to turn to pick-your-own fields this season, despite the challenges growers are facing.
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"Mother nature has not been very helpful," he said.
The drought has become so widespread that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 82 North Carolina counties as natural disaster areas, making farmers eligible for emergency loans and other relief programs.
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"Once you get into multiple weeks of, of dry weather, that's where the plants really start to experience fatigue," Logan said. "So, we up our watering regiment doing more frequent watering. Strategic timing in terms of trying to water, in the early morning hours."
Grasshopper Farms benefits from a spring-fed irrigation system, but Logan noted that not all growers have that advantage.
"Smaller and particularly urban farms may be dependent on municipal water. And, that that could become a challenge for them if this drought continues," he said.
Higher production costs could eventually reach consumers.
"Any time additional costs are incurred at the production level on the farms, that does eventually make its way to the point of purchase, whether that's at a farm stand or at a supermarket," Logan said.
For families like Dupree's, picking their own fruit remains one way to cut expenses. "Comparing price-wise, this is going to be more effective for us," she said.
An economist said farmers are facing higher costs and likely lower yields and cannot offset much of those expenses.
The drought's effects continue to ripple across the state's agricultural communities as growers brace for what could be a difficult season.
