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Effects from Tropical Storm Fay wreak havoc on local corn and hay farmers
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| Juan Martinez moves over 160 hay rolls Thursday on the side of a field in Ellisville to allow the sun to dry them out properly. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Columbia County one of 36 declared disaster areas.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
With at least a 30 percent loss to corn and hay crops in Columbia County, this county was added to a list of
35 other counties that Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson noted as needing help to recover from damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay.
Bronson asked Gov. Charlie Crist on Sept. 3 to request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the USDA make a primary disaster declaration for the 36 counties. The storm ran through Florida from Aug. 19 through Aug. 24, Bronson noted.
If the governor grants Bronson’s request and the USDA agrees with Crist’s request, then affected farmers may see some financial relief to offset their crop losses.
Bronson based his request on reports provided by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida.
Hugh Hunter, executive director of USDA FSA for Columbia, Union, Duval, Baker and Nassau counties created the reports for farmers in those counties.
“The corn was blown down,” Hunter said. “Once it’s blown down, you never get it all up.”
Using corn plants that create the greatest yield per acre means the stalks are skinnier than some other corn crop situations, Hunter said. A strong wind can take those stalks down.
Although it did not qualify for a 30 percent crop loss, there were 20 head of cattle killed by lightning during Tropical Storm Fay, Hunter said.
Vegetables like squash, cucumbers and egg plant were “drowned” by having too much water, he added.
Columbia County hay farmers sustained at least a 30 percent loss, he said. With the very dry weather of spring, farmers did not get their first cut of hay as early as hoped, he said.
A series of rainy days made it so the quality of hay could not be attained, he said, because a farmer needs several days of dry weather to roll quality hay.
Extension Agent Bill Thomas of Columbia County Cooperative Extension said there is another problem caused by Tropical Storm Fay. Farmers are delayed in planting their late season crops, Thomas said.
This becomes an issue if there is an early frost. The delayed planting puts those crops closer to a time when there is more risk from loss due to an early frost.
As for the peanut crop in Columbia County, Hunter said he believes those plants fared pretty well so far. Nassau County suffered a significant loss in its cotton crop due to rain from Fay and before the storm hit.
Suwannee County suffered from losses in tomato crops, Hunter said, because of the excessive rain.
Other than Columbia, Union, Suwannee and Nassau counties, the other counties where farmers sustained losses of at least 30 percent in one or more crops, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency were Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Leon, Madison, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Seminole, Volusia, Wakulla and Washington.
35 other counties that Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson noted as needing help to recover from damage caused by Tropical Storm Fay.
Bronson asked Gov. Charlie Crist on Sept. 3 to request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the USDA make a primary disaster declaration for the 36 counties. The storm ran through Florida from Aug. 19 through Aug. 24, Bronson noted.
If the governor grants Bronson’s request and the USDA agrees with Crist’s request, then affected farmers may see some financial relief to offset their crop losses.
Bronson based his request on reports provided by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida.
Hugh Hunter, executive director of USDA FSA for Columbia, Union, Duval, Baker and Nassau counties created the reports for farmers in those counties.
“The corn was blown down,” Hunter said. “Once it’s blown down, you never get it all up.”
Using corn plants that create the greatest yield per acre means the stalks are skinnier than some other corn crop situations, Hunter said. A strong wind can take those stalks down.
Although it did not qualify for a 30 percent crop loss, there were 20 head of cattle killed by lightning during Tropical Storm Fay, Hunter said.
Vegetables like squash, cucumbers and egg plant were “drowned” by having too much water, he added.
Columbia County hay farmers sustained at least a 30 percent loss, he said. With the very dry weather of spring, farmers did not get their first cut of hay as early as hoped, he said.
A series of rainy days made it so the quality of hay could not be attained, he said, because a farmer needs several days of dry weather to roll quality hay.
Extension Agent Bill Thomas of Columbia County Cooperative Extension said there is another problem caused by Tropical Storm Fay. Farmers are delayed in planting their late season crops, Thomas said.
This becomes an issue if there is an early frost. The delayed planting puts those crops closer to a time when there is more risk from loss due to an early frost.
As for the peanut crop in Columbia County, Hunter said he believes those plants fared pretty well so far. Nassau County suffered a significant loss in its cotton crop due to rain from Fay and before the storm hit.
Suwannee County suffered from losses in tomato crops, Hunter said, because of the excessive rain.
Other than Columbia, Union, Suwannee and Nassau counties, the other counties where farmers sustained losses of at least 30 percent in one or more crops, according to the USDA Farm Service Agency were Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Charlotte, Clay, Collier, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Leon, Madison, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Seminole, Volusia, Wakulla and Washington.
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