MONCLOVA, Ohio —
The dry and hazy weather throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan lately has left farmers with no choice but to come up with smarter ways to keep the growing season on track.
For the Stevens Gardens in Monclova, it has been very difficult. For starters, the drought really impacted the growing season heavily.
"We've spent a lot of time and energy on watering everything so the rains that came helped some we definitely need more," co-owner Debbie Stevens-Laux said. "We can take a lot more but it's affecting everybody's growing season this year."
With the lack of rain, farmers at Stevens Garden have begun using a water wheel to ensure the crops stay healthy. The key difference is that when it rains, it's no work involved for the farmers. But going three weeks without rain has had them working overtime.
So how much rain is really needed for farmers? Another half inch would be perfectly suitable for all farmers. But during the summer months, that's not really feasible.
So, will corn be knee-high by the Fourth of July? Stevens-Laux says yes and no. "That's an antiquated saying. It's a lot more productive now and grows faster. We've got different fertilizers and it's a whole different growing practice. We definitely want to see it at least waist-high, not knee-high."
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