SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Oct. 28 marks day 31 of no rain on the coast and local farmers are grappling with unusually dry conditions that are straining resources and raising costs.
Peach farmer Henry Bennett says the prolonged drought is unprecedented for this time of year.
“Typically this time of year, we're not having to irrigate because it's rainier in the summer, but this has been abnormally dry, so we're still running irrigation every day,” said Bennett.
The increased irrigation is creating financial challenges for Bennett and other local growers, like Jonathan Skaro with Parsons Farms Produce.
“Our strawberry field, I'm normally doing two hours a day. Right now, I'm doing about six to eight hours a day just to keep the plants wet,” said Skaro. “That's increasing our costs, increasing our fertilizer, and also increasing just the overall stress that these plants are facing.”
Skaro says the frost Oct. 28 and the incoming colder mornings create an additional challenge that further complicates crop management.
“It's kind of like dew in the morning, so you get a little bit of moisture, a little bit of wet, but with strawberries specifically, we have to start putting our frost covers over a little bit earlier than we were expecting,” said Skaro. “Normally, we want to do that around Thanksgiving.”
As dry conditions persist, the mortality rate for strawberries, peaches, and other produce on Delmarva is rising.