REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Severe storms brought heavy rain and strong winds across Delaware Monday night. They have become an all too familiar story for local farmers in Sussex County this summer.
It was a busy day at the packed farmers market in Rehoboth Beach, but many shoppers may not realize how hard these farmers have to work to save their crops from severe storms.
Craig Brady, the owner, and operator of Stag Run Farm recounted, "This past storm last night, it looked mean but it really didn't hurt us too bad. We got two inches of rain. The previous storm we got probably about two weeks ago, that hurt us a lot. We had a lot of broken limbs and lost a lot of fruit off the trees."
However, the impact of storms on various crops is not equal. Cheryl Wiley, the owner of Herbs, Spice, Everything Nice, emphasized, "Some plants are less affected. I mean, if it’s not flooding, beans will take it, obviously all your grasses, your corns, your wheats, or your, you know, the Delaware crops that we love. They’re usually happy to get more rain."
Farmers say, that an excess of rain can sometimes be detrimental to crops. Watermelons, for example, can explode if they receive too much water before fully ripening. Even tomatoes are susceptible to splitting if they receive an excessive amount of water.
In light of these challenges, consumers can make a meaningful impact by choosing to support local farmers. By shopping locally, individuals contribute to the help out the farming community in the face of adversities caused by severe weather events.
No matter what mother nature throws their way, farmers are always going to do what they do best and prepare as best as they can.
