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After drought, some farmers getting more rain than needed
Last year, hay parched by a lingering drought crunched under the feet of farmers like Lovettsville's Daniel Fleming, leaving him and other hay growers gazing skyward and asking: When will it rain?Today, the weather tide has turned. Storms are frequent. Rain is plentiful. (Seven inches fell over one weekend in May.) But how much is too much?
"I need three or four days of no rain," said Fleming, 67, who has been farming since 1963. "If you get too much, it browns the hay. No one wants to buy brown hay."
Like Fleming, Richard Cockrell, 73, who farms hay on parts of his 287 acres in Purcellville, said this year's weather is too much of a good thing.
"Either you have no rain or too much rain," he said.
He said he needs longer stretches of hot, dry conditions so he can produce a more-sought-after green bale of hay.
Though he wouldn't go as far as to say that he preferred last year's severe drought over this year's string of showers, he did say 2007's arid conditions did produce a "better product," and one that fetched more at market.
"Rain can take an $8 bale down to $2 real quick," he said.
With 54,000 acres being farmed, Loudoun growers produce the most hay in Virginia. Last year, though, the industry was dealt a severe blow as production was cut in half by hot, dry conditions.
But in terms of rain, what a difference a year makes.
So far in 2008, 26 inches of rain have fallen at Washington Dulles International Airport, nearly double the 14 inches that fell by this point in 2007, according to the National Weather Service. (Many farmers said last year that rain amounts were even less in farm-rich western Loudoun.) Normal is 20 inches.
The cause of the drought, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Lasorsa, was a large high-pressure system that camped out over the middle of the country most of 2007, deflecting away storms approaching the region.
"This year, it's not there," he said.
The problem with too much rain damaging hay arises after the fields have been cut. While laying on the ground, the hay becomes loaded with moisture, which causes nutrients to seep out and dangerous mold to grow, making it a poor feed for buyers.
"For cattle, it's fine," said Lucketts farmer Vern Wood. "But it could kill a horse."
To ensure that his hay is not soaked by this year's frequent storms, Wood, 77, said workers at his Crosswinds Farm have been cutting smaller sections of fields than they normally do then quickly going back to bale the hay and put it under cover.
"You have to work fast," he said, sounding anxious to get back to his fields.
C. Corey Childs, director of Loudoun's Extension Office, which advises and monitors the local agriculture industry, said "In a perfect world," it would rain once a week so farmers would have more time to cut and bale their hay.
Still, he said, "It's always better to have more rain. ... The problem now is that the rain could be more timely."
Contact the reporter at jjacks@timespapers.com
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