DoomsdaysCWNot just Smiling Hill Farm, other #MaineFarms are feeling the effects of the #Drought!
#SevereDrought causing concern for #Maine farmers
Some farmers say they are down at least 30% and are either making adjustments, or looking ahead to next season
Sep 17, 2025
Jackie Mundry, Reporter
TURNER, Maine — "Whether it's beef, apples, or corn, farmers in Maine are having to cut corners or make other plans because we haven't seen enough rain this year.
" 'You need at least one inch of rain to grow a good crop,' Russ Black of Black Acre Farm said.
"He typically saves his second crop of hay to feed his cows over the winter, but he's already using it because the grass hasn't grown fast enough for hay. [Smiling Hill Farm is having the same problem.]
" 'We haven't seen it this dry, so it's definitely a year to stand out,' Jared Hood of Hood Farm said.
"Hood grows corn and sells it to dairy farmers to feed their cows. He says the corn stalks are typically 10-12 feet tall, but right now some are less than 5 feet.
" 'We have some irrigation up here, but we can't irrigate it all. We're on top of a hill,' Jeff Timberlake of Ricker Hill Orchard said.
"Timberlake added that despite the lack of rain, there will still be plenty of apples at the orchard's U-Pick.
"He's hoping for rain not just for the rest of apple season but for next year's apples because the flowers for that are growing now.
"Ricker Hill Farm and Hood Farm are down at least 30-60%
" 'This apple right now is about an inch and a quarter. It's dehydrated. It's shriveled up,' Timberlake said, showing off his apples.
"Black told Maine's Total Coverage he hasn't seen it this dry since the early 2000s; at that time, he had to make adjustments.
" 'I sold some cows. I had to buy a lot of feed. You know, I might have to buy feed this year if I can find it,' he said.
"Black said he hopes we get more rain in the next four weeks, while Timberlake and Hood are looking ahead to next year."
Source:
https://www.wmtw.com/article/severe-drought-causing-concern-maine-farmers/65997555
#MaineDrought #Drought #NewEnglandDrought
#ClimateChange #SmallFarms #MaineFarms