Northern Plains Drought Shows (Again) that Failing to Plan for Disasters = Planning to Fail.
Experts believe the problem started last fall when first freeze dates were several weeks later than usual, creating a “bonus” growing period for crops like winter wheat and pasture grasses, which drew more water from the soil.
Bad news for wheat farmers (and bread eaters) The timing of the drought is particularly damaging to this region’s farm landscape, which centers around grasslands for grazing livestock, along with a mix of crops including wheat, corn, soy, and alfalfa.
Given the forecast of high temperatures upcoming, and the creeping dry conditions into parts of the Corn Belt (at a time of year when corn is particularly sensitive to hot and dry conditions), it is shaping up to be a difficult situation for farmers and ranchers all around the region.
Short-term emergencies can hurt our ability to plan for the long-term The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), created by the 1985 Farm Bill, pays landowners a rental fee to keep environmentally sensitive lands out of agricultural production, generally for 10-15 years.
It also serves to protect well-managed grazing lands as well as to provide additional acres for grazing during emergencies such as drought.
While this might sound like a lot, CRP numbers across the country are down, and in fact North Dakota has lost half of its CRP acreage since 2007.
Some feel that CRP rental rates are too high, tying up the limited suitable land that young farmers need to get started, while others believe there are not enough new contracts accepted (for things like wildlife habitat) because of caps.
And what will happen if floods hit the region next year, and the grasslands that could help protect against that emergency aren’t there?
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