Well I haven’t been on here much with the added pressures of this drought. Crazy busy.
Many areas are worse than me, but we here are in “severe drought”. My neighbor says it’s the worst since 1980 and many in my area expect to bale all tyeirnon-irrigated summer crops (Milo, corn, soybean).
I have taken loss with the drought and the 100F+ days in and out and it’s a big job to keep things alive the ground just soaks it up and is back dry in hours and the sun just bakes it all day it’s horrible it’s the first time that I’m looking forward to winter and feet of snow!!!.
At least we got a 1/2" of rain a week ago, the first rain of July. Many others are even worse off in the darker areas:
Well I am working to improve water security for us and our plants and livestock, I have made progress but lots more to do:
It is progressing but lots of work. Like the Kansas moto says “to the stars with difficulty.”
We are all in great need of securing hay for winter being nothing’s growing.
Further south and west is in worse shape! Look at the Texas cattlemen they’re in a big pinch:
I read that in the Southwest they’re calling it a 1200 year drought and places in the far west like the Hoover Dam may get too low soon to supply electric to Las Vegas area. Look how widespread D4 is from KS to CA:
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The livestock all are not enjoying the heat and dry. I plan to build Inground walkout basement hillside style barns for them all eventually. A inground cowbarn, with milk stall, inground smaller chicken barn, a smaller inground duck barn. And a root cellar.
Better shelter from the extremes both in winter and summer!
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i feel your pain Paul… we had exceptional drought here in 20’. had to water everyday. we didnt have the temps you guys have. thats a deadly combo with lack of water. once these cattle are sold off beefs going to go through the roof! hang on to yours and it will pay out in the long run. praying for you guys. stay safe.
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Well I’d say that since I posted this thread last fall things have only gotten worse here in south central Kansas, weve gotten hardly nothing all winter, its D4, the soil is dry, it looks like the wheat in my entire county is going to fail, and our russian red winter wheat is a tough crop.
Im making plans to start spring watering of my young struggling pitiful looking fruit trees in the orchard and my young seedling beds and our garden soon… keep it small and as consolidated as i can for this season and upgrade the well pump next week is the plan. Semi-burry all potted plants in trenches that i can fill with water and that wont dry too fast.
This year might get worse than last. It might become the dust bowl. Really 90% of these wheat/milo fields should be in perennial cow feed grasses and alfalfa.
Many fields have blown away all winter.
Fire danger is very very high but of course many areas dont have much left to burn, even low quality wild stuff was baled for cow feed or grazed.
Its not fun.
Thoughts of moving war with thoughts of past wetter and average years out here which are bound to shortly return??..
https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?KS
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West Texas was like that last year. Then we got about 8-12 inches of rain in August and September. Around here that’s enough to reverse a drought. We average 12-15 inches a year.
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