Oklahoma Weather Taking A Toll On Farmers

Tuesday, June 26th 2007, 8:57 pm

By: News On 6

First, the winter ice storm froze everything. Now, torrential rains have flooded the ground. So, how are farmers and their crops dealing with the extreme weather conditions? News On 6 anchor Omar Villafranca visited a local farm Tuesday. He reports some fruits and veggies died while some will thrive.

Gary Davison with Conrad Farms shows off his family's corn crop. Earlier this year, the winter ice storm killed the first stalks, and the family had to start over from scratch.

Farmers are now dealing with steady rain, and certain plants can't survive in flooded soil.

Emily Pickett with Conrad Farms has nothing bad to say about all the rain.

"We love the rain. We're welcoming it,â€ Pickett said. â€œNobody here complains about it.â€

Last year at this time, her crops were experiencing a drought. The plants this year are drinking up the extra rain, and farmers expect to pick some plump produce in the next few months.

"When it was dry, a lot of the corn wouldn't fill out all the way, and this year, we have beautiful, big kernels, real juicy,â€ said Pickett. â€œLast year during the drought, our tomatoes were real mushy, but this year they're looking great.â€

Customers won't be able to buy all the usual locally grown produce. Strawberries and peaches took a hit this year in Oklahoma. The rain will make the surviving fruits and veggies a little sweeter. So don't expect a harsh winter and a few rain clouds from slowing down the harvest.

"Normally, our soil drains so well, we just usually have to come in and wait about an hour, wait for it to quit raining, and the guys get right back out there and harvest, so not much stops us,â€ Pickett said.

Pickett mentioned that the corn is doing well with all this rain, but she also expects to pick some extra juicy watermelons, tomatoes, cantaloupes and even some peppers in the next few months.

Watch the video: Oklahoma Produce Takes A Major Hit From Recent Rain