Drought

[tunes]

Is anybody else an avid weather watcher like me? I swear, I am glued to the weather channel and news channels about this drought. Kansas just jumped from 13% drought to like 56% severe in a WEEK. They have pictures of cows wandering around trying to find forage on nothing but dead, sunburned, brown grass.

The government is talking about subsidizing the farmers, again, but how about the rest of us? The farmers will get money for crops that didn't grow, but we won't get money for groceries, hay, grain, feed, etc., that we can't afford because the prices will go through the roof this fall because the farmers crops didn't grow.

My SIL and I just bought 8 ton of hay and had it delivered. I have been so worried about the horses this winter. Last year I got third cutting alfalfa, the nicest hay I have ever seen for $5.50 a bale. This year he wants $10.00 for first cutting. Even the hay we got was $250.00 a ton, whereas last year it would have been half of that. That's an indication of how it's going to go.

I have a cool, dry basement, so I am going to buy oats, corn, grain, and as much chin feed at a time as I can to avoid rising costs. It really sucks right now though because as a teacher's aid, I have zero income during the summer. My paychecks won't start again until Sept. 20. I had it all budgeted out and set up until then, but this whole drought thing is going to shoot that through the foot I'm afraid.

There are even reports of people starting to panic and crime is going up as a result. Houses are being broken into left and right and they are stealing food!

Anyone else out there obsessing over this?

 

[Spoof]

Anyone else out there obsessing over this?

I wore that all out when I flew over Texas last year and saw all the lakes and rivers completely dried up. Scared the **** out of me.

They thought we were headed for a massive drought three weeks ago, everyone was only going to get one more cutting of hay (third), but no. My lawnmower belt breaks so it rains 1-2" per day for TWO WEEKS. So I finally get a belt today, I see we have no more rain predicted. The grass has jumped up over a foot, everyone is getting a fourth and predicting a fifth cutting. A normal season produces six.

The lesson is, if you want rain, kill your lawnmower. Then it will grow to spite you.

Chaff hay is really big down here, have you checked into that? Everyone says you don't have to feed as much to keep them fat and happy. Timothy and alfalfa are still $17-22 per bale, but the bermuda grass is $5/bale or $20 for a 500lb roll. I imagine that will jump as things are shipped north.

p.s.... it's green here!

 

[Cat75]

I have a cool, dry basement, so I am going to buy oats, corn, grain, and as much chin feed at a time as I can to avoid rising costs.

We just keep watching neighbors and friends catching there yards on fire. Good point I never thought about chin feed going up. Time to stock up.

 

[tunes]

Watch out on that Tara, if you still have horses. The CL up here is nothing but hay brokers offering to buy hay from anyone and everyone who has it. They don't care if it's last years, two years ago, this years, in a shed, in a barn, in the field - they are buying up every last bit of it they can get their hands on. I was lucky that the guy I found refused to sell to them, not altruistically, but because he knew he could get good money for his hay so why pay a middle man? He's still far cheaper than anyone around here though, so even though I choked, I went ahead with it because it is awesome hay and the cheapest I found for the quality.

Cat - Every time there is even a questionable drought or the possibility of a bad crop, you can flat out guarantee your feed is going to jump. When I started feeding Nutrena several years ago, I got it for $11.99 a bag. It's now up to $16.99. $5.00 in as many years is a LOT for feed to go up per bag and that was without this drought that is sucking the country dry. I'm going to look at the price of Purina, as my local feed stores carry that as well, and go with the most economical one and then buy as much as I can, up to six months worth. After that, I'll just have to wing it I guess. Stupid drought.

 

[Jenn]

Wow, that's terrible! I know there have been record temps everywhere but where I live, and unfortunately I know how devastating that can be to livestock, crops, and people. Temps. have remained typical for this time of year here in the NW and it is still green and that can make me forget how miserable it is for everyone else.

A few years ago I read a series of books with my boys, The Shadow Children (series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix in which families were limited to 2 children because of the food shortage after the climate change. The series was good, but very scary to me because I realized how this could be reality someday.

Whatever anyone's beliefs are about global warming, I do know that glaciers are melting, seas are rising, and weird weather has hit a lot of areas. If climate changes too much, affecting our crops and food supply, I'm scared for our future.

 

[perabalaofmystery]

its actualy not really dry at all where i am . the rivers and lakes are a bit low. and its ungodly hot half the time.

though i am a bit worried about the future.

 

[greychins]

It's been miserable here. Temps in the 100's and now those electric signs that hang over the highways are flashing to not throw lit tobacco out of the windows because it could start a fire. Read an article in the paper, apparently we've had 0.5" of rain since June. Nowhere near enough.

 

[momenteller]

The lesson is, if you want rain, kill your lawnmower

Or wash your car! That always works for me.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I too watch the weather channel a LOT. All this worries me and I am not in a severe drought area. It is all very frightening. Prayers for all those affected by the drought, especially the severe drought (including the poor animals)

 

[Spoof]

Watch out on that Tara, if you still have horses. The CL up here is nothing but hay brokers offering to buy hay from anyone and everyone who has it. They don't care if it's last years, two years ago, this years, in a shed, in a barn, in the field - they are buying up every last bit of it they can get their hands on.

You're going to hate me for this but the grass grows so much down here I don't need to buy hay for a horse, just a bale once a year for the chins.

Because of the massive Texas drought craigslist has been clear full of people offering to cut fields over 5 acres for the hay. My neighbor has been looking for someone to cut his, people keep saying they will and not showing up. He has 20 acres of Bermuda grass. I guess if you get real desperate we can get it cut for you and you can arrange a semi to haul it up....

Problem with hay here is the rain. The last cut everyone got was totally soaked and has had 8" fall on it in the last two weeks. Locals still feed it but I wouldn't let a horse touch it.

Temps. have remained typical for this time of year here in the NW and it is still green and that can make me forget how miserable it is for everyone else.

My family keeps complaining about how much colder, wetter and greyer it is up there than normal. Everett, WA's high for the day is supposed to be 62 and wet! Ghastly.

 

[tunes]

Yeah, but you still have horse eating bugs and sweltering heat in the 100s. I'm not sure the grass is a huge trade off on that. Then again, by the time winter rolls around up here, and then next spring, I may ship them down to you to mow your lawn for you for a few months.

Barb, it should worry anyone with animals or who eats. They really bad part of this is, they are predicting that groceries are going to go through the roof - anything from fresh veggies to beef to milk, oh, and gas. Ethanol is huge out here in the midwest and it's made with corn. I should take a picture of the corn out here and post it. That old saying "knee high by the 4th of July" isn't even close. This stuff is burned yellow and didn't make it past a few inches in some places. It's just really bad. It also really pisses me off because in America, we are thrilled to kick the underdog. So even if the drought passes, you won't notice the prices dropping once they start going up. They figure - eh, they are paying it anyway.

 

[Stackie]

It is very scary. Despite the saying...there really isn't more than corn in Indiana. I have not seen one corn field yet with "healthy" looking corn. We've broke record highs for more than 10 days in a row, multiple being over 100 degrees. All of our grass is burned to a crisp, and some of the trees are already starting to turn brown and lose their leaves. We FINALLY got a couple storms these past few days, but I don't think anything is going to save it all now. We've been under water bans for awhile now and I can't tell you how many stories I've heard of random grass fires. Drove past one on the interstate the other day because of a tossed cigarette out the window. Heck, one of the storms that went through yesterday caught countless houses on fires....

 

[tunes]

Stack - it's the same here! I got in my car yesterday and had to turn on the windshield wipers to clear off all the dead leaves. I made the comment to Kyle that the freaking weather was convincing everything it's fall.

 

[tunes]

I've really been conscious of water consumption around here lately, so thought I'd throw these out there for anyone who is interested.

Outside
Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. Use it to water your indoor plants or garden.
Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. One drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons of water per year.
Check all plumbing for leaks. Have leaks repaired by a plumber.
Retrofit all household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.
Install an instant hot water heater on your sink.
Insulate your water pipes to reduce heat loss and prevent them from breaking.
Install a water-softening system only when the minerals in the water would damage your pipes. Turn the softener off while on vacation.
Choose appliances that are more energy and water efficient.

Bathroom
Consider purchasing a low-volume toilet that uses less than half the water of older models. In many areas, law requires low-volume units.
Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version.
Place a bucket in the shower to catch excess water for watering plants.
Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects, and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
Avoid taking baths—take short showers and only turn on water to get wet and lather and then again to rinse off.
Avoid letting the water run while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.

Kitchen
Operate automatic dishwashers only when they are fully loaded. Use the “light wash” feature, if available, to use less water.
Hand wash dishes by filling two containers—one with soapy water and the other with rinse water containing a small amount of chlorine bleach.
Clean vegetables in a pan filled with water rather than running water from the tap.
Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing of food waste or simply dispose of food in the garbage. (Kitchen sink disposals require a lot of water to operate properly).
Store drinking water in the refrigerator. Do not let the tap run while you are waiting for water to cool.
Avoid wasting water waiting for it to get hot. Capture it for other uses such as plant watering or heat it on the stove or in a microwave.
Avoid rinsing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher; just remove large particles of food. (Most dishwashers can clean soiled dishes very well, so dishes do not have to be rinsed before washing).
Avoid using running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave oven.

Laundry
Operate automatic clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or set the water level for the size of your load.

Car Washing
Use a shut-off nozzle that can be adjusted down to a fine spray on your hose.
Use a commercial car wash that recycles water. If you wash your own car, park on the grass so that you will be watering it at the same time.

Lawn Care
Avoid over watering your lawn. A heavy rain eliminates the need for watering for up to two weeks. Most of the year, lawns only need one inch of water per week.
Water in several short sessions rather than one long one, in order for your lawn to better absorb moisture.
Position sprinklers so water lands on the lawn and shrubs and not on paved areas.
Plant native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs,and trees. Once established, they do not need water as frequently and usually will survive a dry period without watering. Small plants require less water to become established. Group plants together based on similar water needs.
Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist. Mist can evaporate before it reaches the lawn. Check sprinkler systems and timing devices regularly to be sure they operate properly.
Raise the lawn mower blade to at least three inches or to its highest level. A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture.
Plant drought-resistant lawn seed.
Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn. Applying fertilizer increases the need for water. Apply fertilizers that contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
Use a broom or blower instead of a hose to clean leaves and other debris from your driveway or sidewalk.
Avoid leaving sprinklers or hoses unattended. A garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours.

Pool
Install a new water-saving pool filter. A single back flushing with a traditional filter uses 180 to 250 gallons of water.
Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation of water.

 

[lauralynne]

Here, Peg. This is just for you.

 

[Jenn]

are you sure that isn't too big, Laura? Maybe a thimble would work better!

 

[cindyv3737]

Brown grass, dead trees, random grass fires and forests burning down are all a part of Southern California every summer. It really does stink that the rest of the country is going through it too.

 

[LoveBug]

there was a few people in WI (where i'm from) that actually dug up all their corn.
it wasn't growing so they didn't see the point in keeping it "growing"

 

[tunes]

Yeah but Cindy, you choose to live in that. I am used to green summers and rain. SD doesn't very often have forest fires, for which I am eternally grateful. I know Californians love California, but I just have to have my seasons. A little hot and a lot hot isn't a season for me.

I stopped at a roadside farmer's market to pick up some corn. The guy had a huge hay wagon on the back of his tractor. It took me 40 minutes of sorting through the crap corn to come up with two dozen ears of corn that I wouldn't be ashamed to feed my kids. I have stopped at this guy's place every summer, and he was just embarrassed by the state of his produce. Like it was his fault!

 

[Riven]

I heard Iowa is terrible, my grandpa has been running his irrigation 24/7 and I guess corn in Iowa is already up to $8/bushel...

I agree with Peggy, I love Colorado but don't want to live there because it's too brown, they don't have water like we do here. I stocked up 100 lbs of feed for my house chins here, but I might keep a couple extra bags because I don't think it's going down!

They opened the roadside hay permits wide open here and early, otherwise we'd probably be hard up for hay this winter...