Community Corner

Georgia Drought Starting to Affect Local Farmers

A shortage of rainfall across Georgia is forcing farmers in Oconee and Athens to make critical decisions about how they operate.

The growing drought across the southern United States is beginning to have an effect on many farming operations in Northeast Georgia, including some in Oconee and Athens-Clarke Counties.

Monte Stephens, Oconee County’s UGA cooperative extension agent, says local cattle farmers are experiencing limited grazing capabilities due to the lack of rainfall, and will soon have to make very strategic decisions about how they run their operations.

“Some farmers don’t have enough grass to feed the animals and they are having to buy more hay,” Stephens said. “They have to think more about conserving water and limiting grazing areas in order to give their pastures some rest.”

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Stephens added that if the drought continues, farmers would have to make plans to reduce the amount of animals or find alternative feeds to cut back on grazing.

Karl Burg, a local cattle farmer and president of the Clarke-Oconee Cattlemen’s Association, says that the irregular weather pattern is throwing off almost everything related to his business and could even have an effect later in the winter.

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 “In Oconee County, our biggest production of livestock are chickens and beef cattle, but our largest commodity is hay,” said Burg. “If farmers can’t produce enough hay on their own to feed all their cattle, they have to buy it from somewhere else.”

Burg said hay farmers usually get about three good cuttings a year, but the drought could cause many to miss the opportunity for a third cutting this year. He said Bermuda grass at his farm is growing about four weeks behind.

“When you end up with a deficit of hay going into the winter, it has a big impact on how much money a farm makes," he said. "I grew up in the livestock business and it’s a pain when it’s so dry and you’re losing so much to evaporation. It effects everything.”

On top of a hay shortage, high summer temperatures have slowed his cattle’s production and caused interruptions in their breeding habits. He says the fly infestation and weed problems are worse this year, too.

“Some people will have to scale down the size of the herd and be forced to take a look at selling questionable cows that aren’t marginal in production,” Burg said.

Vegetable farmers could see impact

Stephens said most vegetable farmers in the area have not yet had to resort to a system of irrigation, but warned that drought could cause stress on the plants that could lead to disease and insect infestation.

Alice Mills, who helps operate Mills Farm in Athens, said the small farm’s corn crop has survived the drought so far, thanks mostly to a water supply from a private well. However, Mills is concerned about the well not being able to replenish itself because of a lack of rain.

The drought’s effect in urban areas

 In urban areas around Atlanta, experts say the drought is causing problems for agricultural operations like landscaping and nurseries.

Dekalb County Extension Agent Gary Peiffer said, “Mostly what we deal with around Atlanta are landscaping and tree services, not big rural farms. But we are seeing the drought impact those industries. Since the price of water has gone so high in metro areas, there has been an economic impact for people in the landscaping industry. People aren’t interested in landscaping projects when there is a drought like this, and that causes the nursery business to suffer too.”

He said that even when there is rain, there are usually negatives that come with it.

“The weather here has been very stormy. If we do get rain, we get a lot of wind with it. The drought weakens the roots of trees and plants, so when the winds get strong, it knocks them down.

“Also, with storms, you don’t get much water actually soaking into the ground. It ends up just causing drainage problems.”


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