MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt says this year’s drought is historic, with conditions across the state not seen since the 1930s.
The Eastern Panhandle, which had been in a severe drought through June and July got a bit of respite from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby Aug. 8-9.
“The (Eastern) Panhandle got a little bit of relief with some rain, they’re not as dry as some areas of the state now. I know it seems very dry, but there are actually areas that are worse,” Leonhardt says. “Wood County, Jackson and Mason, they’re probably going to go into a D-4, which is the severest drought category.
This year’s dry conditions gives West Virginia a dubious distinction.
“It’s been a rough year,” Leonhardt said. “West Virginia as a whole is considered the driest, based on averages, of any other state in the nation right now.”
He said it’s been challenging to feed livestock.
“It’s really affecting a lot of the crops,” Leonhardt said. “If they were in the ground in time, they got enough rain to do okay.”
Leonhardt said the problems are adding up.
“The biggest problem we’re having with hay, we’re not going to get second cutting and farmers are feeding their first cutting now.
“Pastures aren’t rejuvenating and growing, he says, ” and we’re going to have to be working on some strategies to help make sure these pastures come back next spring.”
The drought is impacting fruit and vegetable farmers and those who sell at farmers markets, according to Commissioner Leonhardt.
“We’ve been doing very well with farmers markets in West Virginia, and this is actually hurting it,” he says. “Corn is one of those crops, whether it be corn for feed or corn for human consumption, they’ve taken a serious hit.”
As to what farmers and producers can do, “We’re working very closely with the conservation districts on making sure we can help get water to the livestock and we’re also working very closely with the Farm Service Agency to make sure that we have those programs in place to help the producers get through this drought,” Leonhardt said.
Owners of smaller operations should sign up for help or tell the story of how the drought has affected them, Leonhardt said.
“Even in the smallest farm, make sure you are registered with the Farm Service Agency. Tell them what’s going on on your farm, because that information gets fed into the national database that designates the drought conditions for the region.”
Leonhardt calls the drought a ‘once in a lifetime’ event for him. He asks for patience for those reaching out to his office.
“Please be patient with them. They’re getting flooded. Nobody has seen this kind of drought before, so it’s going to take all hands on deck, a little bit of patience, and everybody working together,” he says. “We’ll get through this.”
Commissioner Kent Leonhardt was a guest on Wednesday’s Panhandle Live.
Go to agriculture.wv.gov for drought resources.