LORIS, SC (WBTW) – Local farmers say the unprecedented amount of rain for the past few weeks is killing their crops.
Race Edge is a local produce farmer in Loris who says his farm has been hard hit with the effects of the heavy rain.
“My watermelons are very small. This is the last of what we’ve got for this year. We should typically be harvesting watermelons until the middle of August,” says Edge.
The watermelons aren’t the only crop that is suffering from the rain. Edge says half of his tomato yield split and burst because they filled up with water, and all of his peppers drowned and died.
“It’s detrimental to our income because we’ve lost so much,” says Edge.
The rain doesn’t just kill a farmer’s harvest; it causes diseases and fungi.
“Just earlier this week, we we’re applying funguside and herabiside to control the grass; before we could get the equipment back to the barn it was raining again, thus making the product we put out ineffective.”
Edge says not only is he not able to sell as much produce at the farmer’s markets through Waccamaw Market Cooperative, but he’s also wasted money on many of his supplies.
This summer season is particularly bad for Farmers; Edge may have to search for another job to make ends meet. He isn’t the only local farmer struggling.
“If you look around the fields in Horry County, you’ll notice some of the fields are turning yellow,” says Edge. “The crops are turning yellow; that’s because there’s too much water and not enough oxygen getting to the roots.”
Edge says since he cannot control the rain, he holds out hope for a better outcome next year.
Edge is the Board President of the Waccamaw Market Cooperative, a nonprofit that coordinates community based farmer’s markets throughout Horry and Georgetown Counties. To support local farmers and to find a farmer’s market in your area, click here.
