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What to expect when you’re expecting — a drought

U.S. Drought Monitor’s state-specific look at the effects of a drought can help you make mitigation plans before one hits.

Mindy Ward, Editor, Missouri Ruralist

June 7, 2023

1 Min Read
Cattle in drought-stricken field looking for water in a pond
NEED A DRINK: Cattle search for water as drought takes a toll on farm ponds. Cattle producers should consider additional watering options this year. Mindy Ward

When it comes to drought, no two states are the same.

The U.S. Drought Monitor provides the current state of drought for each state in the nation. Drawing on more than 20 years of historical data, it also breaks down the impact of each category — from abnormally dry (D0) to exceptional (D4) — on the public and agriculture.

While these observations will not prevent a drought, they can help farmers understand what they may face should dry weather persist. More importantly, it can steer on-farm decisions during a drought year.

To find your state’s details, visit the U.S. Drought Monitor. Click on your state and scroll down to “Historic Impacts.”

The table below explains what Missouri farmers and ranchers can expect at each stage.

Read more about:

Drought

About the Author(s)

Mindy Ward

Editor, Missouri Ruralist

Mindy resides on a small farm just outside of Holstein, Mo, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.

After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, she worked briefly at a public relations firm in Kansas City. Her husband’s career led the couple north to Minnesota.

There, she reported on large-scale production of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy, as well as, biofuels for The Land. After 10 years, the couple returned to Missouri and she began covering agriculture in the Show-Me State.

“In all my 15 years of writing about agriculture, I have found some of the most progressive thinkers are farmers,” she says. “They are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, improve their land and leave their legacy to the next generation.”

Mindy and her husband, Stacy, together with their daughters, Elisa and Cassidy, operate Showtime Farms in southern Warren County. The family spends a great deal of time caring for and showing Dorset, Oxford and crossbred sheep.

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