Farmers in western Wisconsin are facing some tough decisions as the region has slipped back into a severe drought. That means many are cutting crops early and taking a financial hit. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that most of the western half of the state is facing a moderate drought, but for counties like Dunn, Eau Claire, Trempealeau, Buffalo and Pepin, the drought is severe. That’s bad news for farmers just now beginning to harvest their crops.
Mark Hagedorn is Eau Claire County’s UW-Extension agriculture agent. He says the lack of rain this summer has kept corn from maturing. He says many farmers are chopping their cash crops to feed their cattle. “For a lot of producers who were wanting to take grain to the market in the fall, you’re removing that option from the table,” he says. “So, you’re immediately taking a step that probably is taking some financial negativity to it.”
Soybeans are taking a hit too. Hagedorn says it’s been too dry for them to produce pods filled with beans without irrigation. “There’s a lot of discussion as to whether these beans should be left and plowed down, [or] whether they should be left in hopes that you can still maybe harvest 10 or 15 bushels per acre from them.”
In a typical year Chippewa Valley farmers are able to get around 40 bushels of soybeans per acre.
For dairy and beef cattle farmers the lack of rain has cut their hay production way back. Without good hay crops farmers are forced to buy feed, which hurts their bottom line.
