Drought
As of Oct. 25, nearly 63% of the U.S. is experiencing drought conditions. That’s more than a 3% increase from just last week and the highest it’s been since 2012.
“The low water disruption will be felt not only by our U.S. producers of food, farm, and fiber but also by U.S. and international consumers as well,” says Friedmann of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.
Harvest progress is up, but river levels are down. South of St. Louis, parts of the Mississippi River are so low from weeks of drought that barge traffic is being limited.
Russia’s Blizzard of the Century Is a Blessing for Wheat Fields
70 MPH winds swarmed West Texas and the Panhandle Tuesday. It may be the final nail for irrigated winter wheat that was already barely hanging on. The aftermath was evident, with drifts of dirt piled up in ditches.
This month, U.S. Farm Report is on the road with Machinery Pete to P&K Equipment in Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
Lingering drought in California has continued to cut into fruit and vegetable production this season and force farmers to make tough decisions about how to allocate their scarce water resources.
Intentional or not, humans have helped shape today’s weather patterns. Now they’re looking at technology to protect their future.
The 2022 Pro Farmer Crop Tour will be sweeping the Midwest soon. We spoke with a handful of master crop scouts to get a preview of what to expect on each leg of the tour.
Steven Ebeling admits farming in West Texas is never easy, but 2022 has been a brutal blow with the majority of the dryland acres already counted as a total loss, and irrigated acres are now struggling to survive.