Drought effects in Texas

[mom'sfolly]

I've got my pond running, I suspect that every critter within hearing distance of the running water is in my yard at night. I'm keeping my lawn from dying, but that is about it. I think I'll see how long I can get the grass beforel the HOA complains.

I've given up on the veggies. I went on vacation and the garden pretty much turned to dust. I am watering trees, and perennials, most of which are native or adapted. I'm kind of a lazy gardener, so what survives is what I keep. I'm getting the tree service in next week, to get the dead weight off my trees, and relieve some of the stress.

I feel for those who make the their livings from the land. I'm off to the farmers market in a few minutes, to help support the hardy souls around here. Agriculture is taking a huge hit, and is not likely to recover.

Part of the extremely high temperatures are due to the lack of rain. As I understand it, first the moisture is evaporated from the ground, moderating the temperatures. This year the ground was already dry, so the temperatures just went up and stayed up. They will continue to do so. Moisture in the ground keeps the highs from getting to high, and the lows from getting to low. I suspect without rain, our winter will also be colder than usual, if it arrives.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
I see you are in Guelph. Are you getting rain there? Here, near Belleville we haven't seen a drop in 6 weeks with none expected any time soon. Its dry as a bone and living near the great lakes isn't going to help. They will dry up like everything else; faster, with the increased drain on them.

we had rain about a week ago.. not much but a shower and cooler temps.. wikked hot this up coming week but rain in forecast for next weekend

 

[dewey]

Quote:
It will actually take a few years for the effects of all this to even begin to be fully felt by the consumer because it is so far reaching. Instead of slaughtering (which many are) many others are trucking hay in or trucking cattle out to be raised elsewhere, which is expensive...an initial drop in beef prices at the store may be very little, and more likely never be seen at all. A couple of 3 years from now the prices will be through the roof. It's an economic hit to farmers and ranchers and ag as a whole, that will ripple around the world.

 

[LindsayB]

It drizzled for about 30 minutes

I'm not inside the city limits where all the heavy stuff was/is so we didn't get very much. Some rain is better than nothing though!!

 

[MaggieRae]

I got ten minutes of rain yesterday! It knocked the temp down 9 degrees (from 104 to 95).
We had the vet come out yesterday to give the horses their annual shots. She said that the ground's so hard that they're having real issues with lameness right now. They even had to move one vet to working lameness full time.

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

I've read that the cattle farmers are having to move or sell off their stock.

The effects of this drought are far more far reaching than most of us realize, myself included.

Here in my part of Florida, we're finally getting almost daily rains. This Spring however, was horrible. The green beans I planted only yielded enough for 7 pints canned and enough for about 4 meals. NOT much. The corn didn't produce anything, just mostly empty ears. The 2 squash plants and 2 cucumber plants produced enough to count on one hand. It was too dry and too hot too early. And it didn't matter HOW much water I pumped to the veggies. When I would come home to let the dogs out to go back to work, I'd even turn frozen milk jugs of water upside down on the plants to provide some water and relief. Didn't matter.

We're on water restrictions here, once a week watering. Have been for several years now. I only watered my garden, the rest can die if necessary. I don't care about a lawn, it's not important in the grand scheme of things. The plants that provide food are more important.

Unfortunately (not to sound all doom and gloom here) but it's not going to get better anytime soon. Mother Nature is flexing her muscles and we're feeling the ill effects. I'm just so sorry that everyone has to suffer through it.

 

[Baymule]

Quote:
It will actually take a few years for the effects of all this to even begin to be fully felt by the consumer because it is so far reaching. Instead of slaughtering (which many are) many others are trucking hay in or trucking cattle out to be raised elsewhere, which is expensive...an initial drop in beef prices at the store may be very little, and more likely never be seen at all. A couple of 3 years from now the prices will be through the roof. It's an economic hit to farmers and ranchers and ag as a whole, that will ripple around the world.

The drought is forcing ranchers to sell their breeding stock as there is no grass and no hay. Anybody got hay? load it up and drive it to Texas. Heavy round bales are bringing $80 and square bales are $8.50-$9.00 If anybody can buy a calf and put it in the freezer, it would be a good idea.

 

[dewey]

Quote:
It will actually take a few years for the effects of all this to even begin to be fully felt by the consumer because it is so far reaching. Instead of slaughtering (which many are) many others are trucking hay in or trucking cattle out to be raised elsewhere, which is expensive...an initial drop in beef prices at the store may be very little, and more likely never be seen at all. A couple of 3 years from now the prices will be through the roof. It's an economic hit to farmers and ranchers and ag as a whole, that will ripple around the world.

The drought is forcing ranchers to sell their breeding stock as there is no grass and no hay. Anybody got hay? load it up and drive it to Texas. Heavy round bales are bringing $80 and square bales are $8.50-$9.00 If anybody can buy a calf and put it in the freezer, it would be a good idea.

If only it were that simple. Many of us have hay and also have storehouses of plenty, but can't get it there to TX, nor to my own home state, AZ, that's in dire need of it, too.

100 pound alfalfa bales here are $20+. 2000 pounds of hay here in AZ has went from around $120, to $210-225 range.

Our family has raised cattle on our ranch (just 300+ cows, not a huge operation) for over 100 years (not in AZ). Our ranch also farms 2000 acres of hay. Our alfalfa bales are 3000 pounds. Sadly, there's plenty of hay to go around but transport to the lower states is too costly.

Lots of people have hay and hay is being trucked at great cost to many ranchers that have the means to do so at this point...even with those, many if not most of the young stock are being lost.

 

[piecemaker]

We got .2 of an inch rain yesterday. The weather says we have a 40% chance tonight. We can only hope. It needs to rain for about a month. We have decided to sell our 2 horse. other reason beside weather. Then DS calls fron Waco to see if his friend can keep her horse here for awhile because she has no grass. Now with my luck my 2 will sell and her mare will be here alone, at least it will be short term.
These are our two that are for sell if you know some one lokking for 2 guys

 

[WyandotteTX]

Thought I would post an update after travelling around the state a little bit in the past few days. I drove north from Austin, eventually getting to Ft Worth. It is by far the driest I have ever seen it my 41 years. I have never seen so many dead trees spread throughout the country. Seemed especially dry around my family's farm/ranch. Brush and trees along our fenceline are dying, never seen that happen. Also, I am very sad to report all of the very large Live Oak thickets that are scattered across our ranch are now dead........As far I know those trees have been there since my family bought the property in 1920. Gone now because of the drought and live oak blight...
With so many dead trees throughout the country, god forbid we get another rash of wildfires going in the state.
Another first, alot of the trees that are dying are Mesquite trees(they have tap roots that go down well over 75 feet) and also a few cedar trees as well. I would be happy if every cedar tree dropped dead but that wont happen haha....

Talked to my brother the meteorologist today and he said this summer is very similar in its structure to 1980 and that drought was broke by Hurrican Allen. Our best hope right now is for something similar to come over the state. There is a weak tropical system in the Caribbean so we can hold out hope at the moment.....