This year’s statewide severe drought has affected farmers and consumers, but potato farmers are on track for an average season.
Oneida County has been exceptionally dry.
For example, this May was the 8th driest on record over the past 129 years according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Tamas Houlihan is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.
Houlihan explained that 95% of potato fields have irrigation systems.
“Wisconsin is fortunate to have an abundant underground aquifer,” said Houlihan. “And so we have been irrigating, almost daily, due to the severe drought conditions that have affected the entire state. And so due to irrigation, we have a very good, I'll call it an average yielding potato crop. The drought has taken the top off yields, as the growers put it. They're not going to be able to get a bumper yield this year, because it's just been too hot and too dry for too long.”
These systems work like insurance policies in droughts; since farmers can add water in dry conditions, they can protect their crop.
Houlihan said that while the quality of the crops will be good, the heat may have caused some uneven growth.
Last week, 37 states across the US reported moderate droughts or worse.
That means 272.3 Million acres of major crops experienced drought conditions.
As climate change worsens severe weather conditions, farmers will continue to grapple with drought.
