In nearby Atkins, farmers gather in the Atkins International Cafe at lunchtime and reveal their woes to waitress Cindy Johnson.
"The early crops that went in, they spent on the fertilizer and all, the yields were low. There is no moisture to put anything back in on the second round, everything is just dry and drought," she said.
In Faulkner County, Extension agent Hank Chaney says yields on most row crops, like soy beans, rice and corn, are going to be well below 50 percent this year unless rain comes soon.
"We need at least three or four days of good, slow, steady rainfall. It would be nice, of course, if we could get a week of it, but at least that to help us soak up and for the ground to recharge," he said.
Chaney says around 30 percent of the farmers in his area have an edge on Mother Nature because they have ground water they can tap for irrigation.
These center-pit irrigation systems are expensive to buy and operate.
But Chris Schaefers, whose family owns eight of them, says they get their money back in better yields and better credit at the bank. "It sure does make them feel better, when you go to your lending officer to know that you have irrigation behind you, especially in years like this," he said.
The Schaefers will benefit from the high commodity prices that are bound to result from this year's dry conditions.
For farmers who can count on their own irrigation system, it will be a little easier to get through this drought, but everyone else is going to have to rely on Mother Nature.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25