March 1, 2013
Just a month ago, Geneva County was in a "severe drought," according to the USDA Drought Monitor – demonstrating just how quickly conditions can change for Alabama farmers.
Steve Dunn, a cattle farmer in Geneva County, had almost two feet of rain the last two weeks of February.
Ironically, the biggest problem the rain caused on Dunn’s farm was damage to an irrigation system he’s building.
“The top of the ground is saturated,” said Dunn, District 12 Director for the Alabama Farmers Federation.
“It’s hard to find high ground to feed cattle on, and if you do, it’s hard to get there.”
The unfinished pond experienced severe erosion.
Dunn and his son, Sam, helped free cattle bogged in mud-filled trenches where irrigation pipe was recently laid.
Even leaving home has been a problem for the Dunns. Rains washed away the dirt road leading to their home, making off-road vehicles their only source of transportation.
As things began to dry out, Dunn forecasts brighter days ahead. “Hopefully, with the irrigation system, we can capture future rains and have it for our crops next summer,” he said.
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