BOONES MILL, Va. (WFXR) — With each turn of the hoe, Zeb Perry uncovered more dry soil.
When was the last time Perry has seen the ground this dry?
“Maybe when I was a little kid,” Perry responded. “I haven’t seen it this dry for a while.”
Perry works on Woods Farm in Boones Mill in Franklin County where a variety of row crops and tree fruit crops are grown.
“We’ve been pumping water 24 hours a day and moving it around,” said Woods Farm owner Mark Woods.
The need for irrigation is a reality for Woods and other crop farmers. Without it, Woods says his bean, tomato, cucumber, and potato crops would be lost.
“If we didn’t have the water that we have, we’d be hurting,” said Woods.
Because of that water, Woods says he should have a healthy harvest.
It has become so dry in Virginia that the United States Department of Agriculture has declared 30 Virginia counties eligible for federal disaster relief.
Corn could be especially hard hit, though there is the chance much of the crop will be saved late if enough rain comes. Pasture land is also being affected. In some cases, livestock farmers have had to sell off portions of their herds to keep up with lost grazing areas.
