Normally, from the beginning of March to mid-June, southeast Wisconsin can expect some 15 inches of precipitation. So far in 2021, counties across the region have only seen around half of that. The U.S. Drought Monitor currently has labeled most of southeast Wisconsin as moderate to severe drought. Areas near Kenosha are marked as witnessing extreme drought.
This poses difficult problems for farmers, especially produce farmers who have to rely more heavily on groundwater supply to grow fruits and vegetables. Lake Effect farming contributor Dave Kozlowski of Pinehold Gardens in Oak Creek says the effects of the drought will be noticed by consumers.
“All the vegetables we eat have a high percentage of water in them and fruits, so if that water is not in the ground, it’s not going to be in the fruits. Now, that will principally affect size and to some extent quality but it will also have an enhancing effect, it could raise the sugar levels,” he told wuwm.com.
So while fruit may be smaller, it will be sweeter. Kozlowski says other positive effects of the drought are that worries about disease amongst plants decreases and because all plants are affected by the drought, weeding becomes less of an issue.
“This year, because it’s so dry, the weeds are stressed as well, and so they’re not growing nearly as quickly or germinating nearly as quickly, so I can pretty much keep up with things,” he says.
Photo source: Dreamstime.com