From drought to deluge: NC farmers try to stay afloat between the summer weather extremes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's been a tough summer for some growers across the Triangle, who went from an extreme drought to record rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby in August.

"We went from one extreme to the other," McKinley Sills said.

Sills, who was selling what's going to be some of the last ears of the corn this season at the State Farmer's Market on Monday, said it was a struggle to keep up the harvest at Langdon Farms in Harnett County, especially after a dry June and July.

"We have a few more days left, but that's about it," Sills said. "A lot of crops, I'm sure, were a total loss."

For Immanuel Jarvis at Jireh Family Farm, LLC in Durham County, the rain from Tropical Storm Debby was beneficial to his animal production.

"Even though we got a lot of rain in a relatively short amount of time, it actually came in a very redemptive way," Jarvis said. "We do give them a feed, but we also want to make sure that they're able to eat grass ... and the rain spurred that growth."

Some of the concerns with the extreme conditions include erosion and the loss of topsoil, which can prevent the water from soaking into the ground and hydrating the crops.

"That's a lot of profit that's lost," Sills said. "Things can be totally wiped out by the weather ... it really impacts where you grow."