Recent rains mixed blessing for farmers

MANAGING EDITOR

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Curry and Roosevelt County farmers are taking the bad with the good when it comes to the recent downpours of rain over the last several weeks.

Area farmers said although the rain is mostly a good thing, the cooler weather that came with it set some crops back.

Farmers Market Manager Margie Plummer and vendor Carlos Paiz both said produce crops planted for the farmers market were planted late, because the cool weather throughout the month of May prevented farmers from planting sooner.

“Don’t get discouraged if we don’t have really good produce at first, because it starts out slow every year, then the better crops come,” Plummer advised of those who attend the market.

The market opens July 6 at 5 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays in Portales and 8 a.m. Saturdays and 5 p.m. Tuesdays in Clovis.

Plummer said the Portales farmers market is participating in the food stamp grant program, Double Up Food Buck, in which the state farmers market will pay for another $20 of food for those who spend $20 of their food stamps at the market.

Plummer and Paiz said vegetable and fruit crops should begin growing in more abundance and be hearty by the end of July.

“It’s going to be a little later than usual because of the rain and cool weather, but I think by the end of July it will be in full swing,” Paiz said of his crops. “As far as variety, I think we’re going to have a wide variety this year and have plenty.”

Curry County farmer Steve Bailey and Roosevelt County farmer Rick Ledbetter both said the cooler May weather also hindered wheat and cotton crops, but they still anticipate a higher yield than they’ve had in years because of the moisture.

“It has it’s own set of problems and issues, but I’d rather have the rain than not have it,” Ledbetter said. “There’s a lot you can do with rain that you can’t do with drought. We really needed this.”

Ledbetter said his corn crops look great, because corn is a crop that fares better in cooler weather whereas wheat and pepper crops are not fans of the cooler temperatures.

He said his wheat is not faring too badly and can likely start being cut next week, but how cotton crops will fare this year is to be determined. If the weather stays hot consistently for awhile, Ledbetter said, he’ll have a chance to get caught back up with it.

Bailey said his wheat crops almost burned up in March when there was little rain, but made a comeback in April with the rain.

He said his harvest time will come later than usual this year because of the rain and cool weather, but when it does come, he expects a yield of 20 to 30 bushels per acre instead of the 15 to 17 he’s had since 2010.

“It’s done a Jekyll and Hyde really,” Bailey said of the weather with temperatures remaining so hot and dry in March then plummeting in May. “The good far outweighs the bad. Anything helps.”

Bailey said he thinks wheat will still fare well despite the setback with the cooler temperatures.

But more than anything, he said, the rain helps farm morale.

“I’m not sure I remember how to run a combine, but I bet I can figure it out,” Bailey said jokingly. “We like it. We got lots of mosquitoes and lots of weeds but we can take care of those. If it keeps raining, we’ll be great. No complaints.”