This is the most terrifying word in a farmer/rancher’s vocabulary. Floods, storms with tornados, hail or lightning, blizzards, extreme cold, early frost or late frost; all these weather extremes happen routinely. They last from minutes to days, and then you deal with the aftermath.
But a drought, that is something else entirely. A drought starts slow. You watch the sky. You think it has to rain soon. You listen to the weatherman. Good chance of rain tomorrow, but it doesn’t happen. You look at the sky. You pray for rain. You check the radar. The grass crackles and crunches as you walk across it. You look at the sky. It gets drier and drier. The ponds get lower. The creeks run sluggishly. It rains, a little, it soaks into the hungry ground and disappears. Dust hangs in the air.
You watch the sky.
A true drought-not a dry spell – lasts for months and even years. This is a drought.
In 2023 the hay field made 28 bales. A two-digit number. Total.
In 2022 the hayfield made 212 bales.
Hang on to your hats. It’s going to be a rough year.
Until next time.
Don’t forget to shut the gate!