Local Farmers Struggle During Drought

Water needed. Now.

It couldn't be any more basic than that. Lake County's farmers are struggling with the extreme temperatures and lack of rain, so much so that they are forced to give up on certain crops for the season. Everything from corn and soybean, to lettuce, broccoli, peas and carrots are hurting.

According to the Illinois Ag Statistics Service forty-eight percent of Illinois' corn was rated in poor or very poor condition; forty-two percent of soybeans were rated the same.

In Lake County, corn and soybean farmers do not irrigate. Greg Koeppen, Director of the Lake County Farm Bureau said most of the wells the farmers are on do not support enough water for the crops, or, the basic economics of it doesn't make sense.

"It's just so tough on our farmers right now, we need the rain," said Koeppen.

Third generation farmer Bill McNeil farms corn and soybeans on 500 acres of land between Grayslake and Lake Villa. He is currently at a 20-30 percent drop in yield, and expects things could get worse before the season is over.

"The plants are actually shutting down right now. They are fried up," McNeil said. "Now that we're coming into polinating season, you can see so much of the corn that won't even form kernels on the ears. And, there is nothing we can do."

McNeil said he is amazed that his corn has lasted this long. "There is just absolutely no moisture in the ground," he said. "Even if we get rain at this point, I doubt it will be enough."

His soybean fields are fairing slightly better. McNeil believes even an inch of rain could show some major improvements to those crops. Still, he is expecting this tough season to have an impact for years to come.

"Next year there may now be a shortage of seeds, and that will affect prices," he added. "It could take us a good two or three  years to recover from this weather."

Even Irrigation Isn't Enough

The vegetable farmers in the area who can water their crops say still, it just isn't enough.

Sandhill Organics located in Grayslake, maintains 45 of the 100 acres on the Prairie Crossing farm. The farm rotates irrigation, giving their crops at least some water every other day.

"Usually it's enough for our vegetables, this year it's just not," said Matt Sheaffer, owner of Sandhill. The irrigation well they have on the farm can pump up to 90 gallons a minute, however Sheaffer said even tripling that amount couldn't keep the crops growing.

"It's barely enough right now. We just keep thinking if we could just get through this next week," Sheaffer said.

But some of the damage is already done. An entire field of lettuce is deemed unusable and almost inedible because without significant water it is bitter. Another field of carrots won't be as sweet as usual. Even the 275 chickens that live on the farm are pecking at any piece of grass or vegetation available.

"This is the toughest year since we've been open." That was in 2004.

Sandhill said without significant rain they are forced to cut back on preparing for next year. They are not tilling the soil as it is too dry and much of the good soil will blow around and they are not cover-cropping to prepare the ground for the next season.

Sandhill is also barely able to fill the 325 Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, shares they have each week. That, in part is due to the vegetables that seem to be thriving, somewhat, in this drought.

"Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, zuccini, onions and cucumbers are doing okay with our irrigation system right now," he said. And, another positive note, "We now have the most vibrant disease-free plants I have ever seen here, because no rain means no disease," Sheaffer said.