Rockford area drought takes toll: 'We had nothing to sell'
Bill and Nancy Girling missed the North End Farmers Market a week ago for the first time in decades as a dusty drought slows the growth of flowers, fruits and vegetables on their orchard and across the region.
For 47 years, the husband and wife team from Cherry Valley have operated what they call Twin Maple Orchard, cultivating about 5 acres of apple trees, flower beds, tomato plants and vegetables with the help of their adult son. They used to sell their produce at three area farmers markets, but have cut back to the North End Saturday morning market as they have gotten older.
"That was the first market we have ever missed since 1975 when we started," said Bill Girling, a retired Harlem High School teacher and baseball coach. "We had nothing to sell last week because of the drought, and we are way behind."
Vendors are struggling to produce enough flowers and vegetables to sell at area farmers markets as drought conditions continue despite recent rains. The produce that is getting to the market, isn't necessarily the quality and size vendors are accustomed to selling. And they are spending more money on watering, straining resources to produce they crops they have.
More: Illinois farmers being impacted by severe drought conditions this summer
Drought persists
The Rockford area has seen roughly half of the rainfall that it normally would at this time of year. Stephenson, Ogle, Winnebago and Boone counties are in a moderate drought, according to the National Weather Service, even with recent rainfall.
Many nearby Illinois counties to the south and east toward Chicago are facing more severe drought conditions.
Between April and June, the Rockford region got 6.6 inches of rain. That is a little more than half the 12.2 inches the Rockford area got on average in that time period since 2000, according to data from the National Weather Service.
It is so far the driest June in Rockford since 2012 and fifth driest June since 2000.
Fighting sun and heat
Vendors who sell their goods at the Edgebrook Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday at 1639 N. Alpine Road, are struggling against the dry conditions.
Farmers say that even when they water, the ground around their crops is so dry that it tends to consume the moisture instead of going where it needs to. Although recent rains have helped, the ground is so hard, much of the water can run right off the crops and plants.
It's also been hot, so evaporation is an issue. Crops are growing slower and are smaller than normal.
Water bills rise
Linda Raz of Lilies N Pots has seen her water bill skyrocket as she fights to keep crops growing on her 10-acre farm off Old River Road near Rockford. She grows asparagus, rhubarb, beans, collard greens, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, herbs, bok choy, cucumbers and winter squash among others.
Her water bill for May was a reasonable $51. In just the first two weeks of June, Raz said her bill had reached $120 and counting as she works to keep the crops alive and growing. Despite all the watering, Raz said her onions are about half the size they should be and the drought made her late to plant her fall crops.
"They are very, very slow growing even though we water," Raz said.
It 'is so dry'
Elizabeth Beatty operates the organic-certified "no till, no tractor, human scale" Greenlight Acres farm in Ridott. Her booth at the Edgebrook Farmers Market, one of three markets she attends each week, is popular and people are eager to buy up her tiger lisianthus flowers.
She sold all 40 bouquets of flowers she produced for the market on Wednesday in 45 minutes.
Beatty said she is prepared to mitigate most obstacles nature has ready for farmers. Drought is no exception.
She uses a specialized drip irrigation system to water her crops which soaks the ground and prevents much of the water from evaporating as opposed to sprinklers. It helps, but there is only so much water in her well. And during a drought she can't water 24 hours a day or she would risk emptying it.
"The sun just dries everything out so fast," Beatty said.
Despite all the watering, Beatty is fighting a lack of rain, heat and too much direct sunlight.
"When you have the drought that we've been having, all the ground around the crops is so dry that it's just sucking the water right out," Beatty said. "So we are definitely running a lot more water than what we normally do this time of the year."
Jeff Kolkey can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Drought turns up heat on Rockford area growers
