The soil is dry. The ponds are shrinking. And for farmers across the Wiregrass, the window to save this year’s harvest is narrowing by the day.
HENRY COUNTY, Ala. - The soil is dry. The ponds are shrinking. And for farmers across the Wiregrass, the window to save this year’s harvest is narrowing by the day.
A historic drought has settled across Southeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle — arriving at the worst possible moment: peak planting season for peanuts and cotton. Since Jan. 1, Dothan has recorded nearly 10.5 inches less rainfall than normal. The last time the area saw more than an inch of rain in a single day was Jan. 25 — when a severe weather outbreak dropped an EF-2 tornado over Geneva County. That was three months ago.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, all of the Wiregrass region in Alabama is experiencing extreme drought — the second-highest classification on the four-level scale. A corner of southeast Houston County has reached exceptional drought, the most severe level possible. The Henry County Extension Office reports the area is currently five to six inches behind normal rainfall totals for the spring — and the soil column that farmers depend on to germinate crops simply hasn’t been recharged.
“This tends to be one of the drier springs that I have worked in for 37 years now in Henry County going into planting season,” said Jimmy Jones, Henry County Extension Director. Farmers across the region now face a difficult choice: plant seeds into bone-dry soil and hope rain arrives in time — or wait, and risk falling too far behind to make a viable crop.
Peanuts can be planted deeper — about two inches into the soil — where they will wait for moisture before emerging. Cotton, however, is planted much shallower and lacks the seed strength to push through crusted, dry soil. A heavy rain after planting could cause the soil to crust and prevent cotton from germinating at all, potentially forcing farmers to replant.
“We don’t need to replant with a cost of production as high as it is these days,” Jones said. “The replanting costs are extravagant. ” Production costs for peanuts are already over $600 per acre — with two-thirds of that expense hitting before a single seed sprouts. Cotton costs are expected to be even higher this year due to surging fertilizer prices.
Jones noted that farmers are operating on margins of just 1-3% — margins most businesses would never accept.
“Our farmers are out there basically putting their whole livelihood in the soil at this time of year,” Jones said. “They farm because they love it. It’s not because their margins are that good. ”For Bobby Edmondson, a generational farmer in Henry County, the financial pressure is personal.
Edmondson farms roughly 140 acres of peanuts and 140 acres of cotton — rotating them yearly — along with about 40 acres of vegetables. To break even on peanuts at today’s prices, he needs at least a two-ton-per-acre yield, generating roughly $1,000 to $1,200 per acre at $5 to $5.50 per ton. For cotton, he needs two bales per acre just to cover costs.
“If we put the seed in the ground right now, and it doesn’t rain within two to three weeks, and then it’s going to take another week or so for the crop to come up, we’re looking at three to four weeks out,” Edmondson said. “That is definitely going to affect our yields at the end of the year. ” A delayed crop means lower yields. Lower yields mean less product to sell.
And the bills don’t shrink with the harvest.
“We need to have the full potential of the full crop to be able to make money to pay for the chemicals, the seed and the fertilizer,” Edmondson said. “That cost is fixed in there. We can’t change it. ” He added that many of the herbicide chemicals used to protect crops are moisture-activated — meaning without rain, they lose their effectiveness before the crop even emerges, compounding the problem.
The drought isn’t just affecting the fields. It’s draining the region’s water supply. Farm ponds used for irrigation are down as much as six feet from full pool, according to Jones. Groundwater tables have also dropped significantly and have not been recharged this spring.
Jones said one grower told him it costs $1,000 per foot to pump water back into his pond using electric pumps — a process that takes an entire week. Only about 20% to 25% of Henry County’s cropland can be irrigated at all — well below the 30% to 40% seen in parts of Georgia. That leaves the vast majority of local farmers with no backup plan.
“As far as the peanuts and cotton, I don’t have irrigation for that,” Edmondson said. “Depending solely on what the good Lord brings us. ”Jones said the region needs a slow, soaking rain — not a downpour. Two to three inches spread over several days would allow moisture to penetrate deep into the soil.
A heavy, fast-moving rain of two to four inches all at once would largely run off into area rivers and streams rather than soaking in.
“We would rather have three or four days of just drizzle and get that two inches rather than it coming all at once,” Jones said. Edmondson has seen droughts before — in 1980, 1990, and 2000. He said this spring isn’t the worst he’s experienced — yet. But if May stays dry, he believes it could be.
When past droughts hit, Edmondson said he survived by working closely with lenders and landlords, cutting costs where possible, and leaning on his faith.
“The bankers and the people that I owed just had to be patient with us and we worked through it,” he said. “As far as falling back on huge amounts of savings, I don’t have it. We don’t have it. It’s not there anymore.
”“I hope that he doesn’t overspend,” Edmondson said.
“You don’t have to have the best of everything, the best piece of equipment. Keep it basic. Keep it simple. And pray to God.
”Second — slow down on the roads. Farmers are moving large planting equipment along area highways during one of the busiest and most dangerous times of the farming year. Download the WTVY News4 app to get alerts and stories the moment they are published. Available for FREE in theEnterprise Police Arrest 6 in Online Child-Solicitation Sting, Operation INTERCEPTDothan Utilities downtown payment kiosk closed
Georgia Drought Effects Drought Effects On Farmers Drought Effects On Peanuts Drought Effects On Cotton When To Plant Peanuts Cotton Dothan Drought Stats Southwest Georgia Drought Southeast Alabama Drought Florida Panhandle Drought Jimmy Jones Henry County Extension Director Bobby Edmondson
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