Rain Rain go away

[bill ns]

We finally got a bit of nice weather 5 days we got 83 4x4 round bales in and just started to bale squares and stopped baling when the clouds moved in picked up 50 bales i had made and made a fun for the barn Just got them in and it opened up again Now there calling for another long stretch of rain . I cant remember a wetter summer

 

[oosik]

My God - that's where our rain went. An exceptionally dry year here. Everything is more than a month or two early this year. The first cutting of hay is all but finished and the harvesting of wheat is more than half completed.

I really don't know what the farmers will be doing - this year - regarding the planting of winter wheat.

 

[MattLynch]

I'm loving the rain, best summer ever! Grass is growing very well, animals are doing great on all this high quality regrowth. Where were you for 2 weeks end of June first of July? No rain at all then. I got my silage done so I'm crossing my fingers for a cool and wet summer.

 

[Farmer495]

Was sunny for a solid 2 weeks on this side of the 104 the first part of July. Was done baling on the 13th. Other guys here didn't even start and were delayed, this weekend past first baling weather in two weeks.

2010 was way wetter than this, almost every field had standing water and equipment was rutting everything. Took 6 weeks to finish the hay that year.

 

[Grateful11]

This is the latest I have ever finished my first cutting, I just finished tonight. Ended June and started July with the most rain I have ever seen for the time period in central NC. At one point had almost 10 inches of rain in a week. I didn't complain at all because the pastures really needed it and I already had my personal allotment of hay in the barn by mid June. I may do 500 squares just to have on hand. I only have to make 18 more rounds to fill an order. I will definitely have a fair number of rounds for sale. The rain can come again now since its been 5 days since the last shower and I probably won't start 2nd cutting for a couple of weeks.

Not all of central NC has been so fortunate to get even normal amounts of rain. An area running from about Davidson county and south and southeast of there down into SC. have received little rain. In April we received 4.87", in May we got 0.25", in June we got 1.57" and in July we received a wonderful 3.61" but this relentless heat has taken it's toll on many crops. July was our hottest on record. 3.5˚ above average. Saw a guy yesterday cutting silage in a large corn field, his corn was about 4' high and turning brown at the bottom. I hear Lincolnton area is some of the worst hit with this drought.

Now if you get down around Asheboro in Randolph county, it looks like a green paradise they've had so much precip.

Hay is going to be in very short supply around here. Wife and son need about another 275 round bales to get through until next season. They've already put up about 350 and bought 60.

Palmer Drought map:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/regional_monitoring/palmer.gif

 

[Tx Jim]

Be careful what you wish for. Where I live got over 20'' of rain in May and now you can drop a rock in a crack in the soil and it will bounce off a Chinaman's head. Did I state it's DRY here??

 

[CDennyRun]

My God - that's where our rain went. An exceptionally dry year here. Everything is more than a month or two early this year. The first cutting of hay is all but finished and the harvesting of wheat is more than half completed.

I really don't know what the farmers will be doing - this year - regarding the planting of winter wheat.

Yup, it's been a strange summer here in WA. I know a lot of people won't be getting a second cutting. Small bale prices are souring for horse hay!! Not good for those of us who didn't get enough of the first cuttings.