A summer drought combined with scorching temperatures have South Carolina farmers feeling the heat.
“It’s really hot day in and day out in this business,” said T. S. Smith with Byrd Farms.
“When it’s one hundred to one hundred five degrees, it takes a toll on just about everything,” added Jason Lamb with Lambs Produce.
According to the South Carolina drought response committee twenty-eight counties across the state are in the first level of a drought and it’s taking a toll on local farmers.Those counties include Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter, Williamsburg and York.
Jason Lamb says with the hot temperatures farmers will have to spray crops more and take care of them more to get rid of insects because the hotter it is the more problems you’ll have.
Lamb has been growing crops for the past twelve years. He says that all of his produce are grown natural, but the heat could impact some.
“The watermelons are actually ripening at a quicker rate than normal and what the sun and heat will do is shorten your season up,” explains Lamb.
One farmer who grew up growing produce can relate.
“For some reason this one did not quite develop. The heat takes its toll. It doesn’t look as fresh as this one does,” says Byrd.
But he says it can all be prevented with a little rain.
“If we can keep getting these scattered showers in the right places we’ll have a good year,” mentioned Byrd.
“If you don’t get the right amount of rain then planting something in the ground this time of year when it’s hot will be hard to get it to grow,” said Lamb.
Farmers hope that the temperatures will cool down but for now their leaving the drought in nature’s hands.
