HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) -- While the recent relief from hot and dry conditions is a welcomed sight, farmers in Tennessee are still facing the hurdles of drought.
“The drought conditions this year have been piled on the drought conditions from last year. So it’s kind of like a two-fold. In my opinion, it’s the driest here that I’ve ever seen it,” said Spencer Totty, a fifth-generation farmer in Hickman County.
Spencer Totty’s family have farmed the lands along Duck River since the early 1800s. He said he understands the ramifications a drought can have on their way of life.
One issue that especially concerns him this year: hay production. Typically, farmers will cut hay about three times a season. However, with pastures now dried up, it’s impossible to do that.
“It was cut the last weekend of June,” said Totty, pointing down at a field where his cattle roam. “So, it will typically go dormant this time of year. But even after being cut, it should have grown up another two or three feet by now.”
With their fields too dry to grow back, it’s unlikely many farmers will get more than one hay cutting this year. With a shortage of hay, Totty said not only will hay prices rise, but farmers will struggle to feed their livestock.
“My prediction is, there’ll be a cattle shortage,” Totty told News 2. “Going all around the county and seeing the farms that no longer have cattle on them because drought conditions and high prices both put together, it’s just the perfect storm for people to sell out."
“I’ve got about a dozen or so cows up the road, and they’re going to hit the road here before too much longer because we’re going to have to start feeding hay a lot sooner,” Totty added.
Totty considers himself rather lucky since he has plenty of hay stored up on his farmland. However, he says it's all basic economics: as supplies dwindle, demand skyrockets, and farmers are forced to make sacrifices.
“What is the misconception or misunderstanding that you think people might have that you would want to clear up?” asked News 2’s Sam Chimenti.
“High prices in the stores, everybody would assume that the farmers are making a lot of money. The truth is, we’re not the ones that are on the get rich quick side of things,” Totty replied.
If there is a positive in these trying times, it’s that farmers don’t know when to quit.
“It’s a generational thing,” said Totty. “Farmers are some of the most stubborn people that you’re going to find anywhere and they’re going to do everything they can to manage. And, they always say, ‘maybe next year.’”
Totty called this weekend’s wet weather merely a “band-aid” to the conditions he and other local farmers face.
One thing that Totty emphasized — people need to do what they can to help farmers. An example he gave is visiting farmers' markets and buying directly from the men and women who help feed America.
