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June 14, 2005Farmers worry lack of rain will hurt cropsTC has received 0.3 inches of rain this monthByRecord-Eagle business editor TRAVERSE CITY - Dust flew as Keith Parker toed the parched ground in a futile attempt to find moist soil beneath a rolling grain field in Elmwood Township. "There's nothing there," said the longtime Leelanau County farmer, as he pointed out the yellow tinge on his young but rain-starved oat and wheat crops. "They're needing the moisture already," Parker said. "We need an inch (of rain) really good." Parts of northern Michigan have been pounded by strong storms in recent days, but much of the Traverse City area is wilting after weeks of scant rainfall. Traverse City has received only about 0.3 inches of rain this month, compared to the 1.5 inches typical of this time in June, said meteorologist Jeff Zoltowski of the National Weather Service forecast office in Gaylord. "You're the spot that's had probably less rain than anybody else," he said, adding that the east side of the state has received considerably more precipitation this month. "You've been unlucky." With no strong force, such as a cold front, spreading the storms to a wide area, thunderstorms have popped up in specific areas - just not over Traverse City, Zoltowski said. Compounding the problem is the added influence of Lake Michigan, which weakens storms as they pass over the cooler waters, he said. Traverse City had 1.31 inches of rainfall at this point last June, Zoltowski said. Normal for the month is 3.32 inches. Parker says weeks of bone-dry conditions at his farms "shorted the hay crop probably 30 to 40 percent," he said, and they won't get a second cutting without some rain. "It's powder in our hay fields," he said. But other crops are holding on. Parker's 600 acres of no-till corn perked up with the steamy heat of recent days, and he said there's still time to save a solid corn harvest. Area fruit growers are also watching the skies in hopes of rain. Agricultural experts say older fruit trees are able to draw moisture from deeper in the ground and can survive dry spells. But young trees and those with shallow or "dwarf" root systems are quickly becoming vulnerable. "Young trees would be a concern right now," said Jim Bardenhagen, extension agent for Leelanau County. Proper sizing of cherries, apples and other fruits could be hampered without some rain in the near future, he said. "I know people who have pumped their ponds dry irrigating their cherries," Bardenhagen said. "It all adds up to some concerns if we don't get some rain here pretty soon." Wes Parker - Keith's son and a fruit farmer - said rain is needed sooner, rather than later. Wet conditions later this month when sweet cherries are ready to harvest could cause the fruit to crack and hurt the quality of the harvest. "You don't want the rain when the fruit is really tight," he said. "You really like (the weather) to be kind of average. The extremes are what makes it difficult." The best chance for precipitation this week will be this afternoon and evening with a 60 percent chance of rain, Zoltowski said. A cold front is moving through bringing the chance of rain, followed by drier air later this week with seasonable highs in the 70s. Staff writer Lindsay VanHulle contributed to this report.
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