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Drought Threatens North Country Crops

Story Published: Jul 9, 2012 at 2:29 AM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 9, 2012 at 2:29 AM EDT

When it comes to corn, the saying goes, 'knee-high by the fourth of July', but according to Doug Shelmidine of Sheland Farms, if we don't get rain within the next week, his crop could be in danger.

In June, the North country received an average amount of rainfall, but in spurts.

In July, the total precipitation is nearly half an inch below the normal through the first week. The Watertown Airport has only seen two-tenths of an inch of rain so far this month.

Some of Shelmidine's corn has already started to wither from the lack of rain, and that's bad news.

It's the same story for crop farmer Harold Nohle, whose corn near the Henderson town line is over six feet tall.

A lot of the early planted corn in the North Country is in a critical stage. 

When the tassel starts to appear, the plant is ready to be pollinated.  If the corn doesn't receive three-quarters of an inch of water each week, the kernels might not appear.

That's bad news for farmers, and Nohle isn't exact hopeful.

And in the end, it all boils down to a simple truth: rain makes corn.

 
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
, Watertown, NY

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