VERMILLION, Ohio — It's hard for farmers to beat the heat, and this latest heat wave is bad news for berries. Strawberry season's already come and gone, and now, blueberries are next, but you need to get out there fast before heat affects the crop.
At Baumhart’s Berry farm, for 44 years, Donel Sprenger has specialized in growing berries for picking, but the extreme heat could hurt their harvest.
“When it gets so hot so quick, tends to ripen things up really quickly, and you're in a rush to get everything picked up,” said Mike Orgrady, the farm manager.
This was the first time they grew strawberries, which came early and ripened too fast for them to pick them all, so they lost a third of their crop. Now they're hoping rain will give their ripe blueberries a break from the high temps.
“Blueberries like moisture. They don't do well in drought conditions. In fact, some varieties will actually start to shrivel and dry out a little bit,” said Orgrady.
Joe Logan, the President of the Ohio Farmer Union, said across the Midwest, farmers are struggling with the effects of the fluctuating weather.
“One of the major strawberry growers in the area. And he related that this year they had zero crop of strawberries,” said Logan.
The heat is also effecting corn, soybeans, pears as well as livestock.
“I've got about 50 cows and I would like to see them out grazing on pasture. Right now, they're huddling under a shed roof on my stall barn out there to stay out of the sun so they're not eating,” said Logan.
Farmers are working with what they can, but if rain doesn't come soon, it can impact more down the road.
“We are losing time and we were losing yield potential. And and frankly, we can lose the crop if we don't get moisture,” said Logan.
But at Baumhart, there are plenty of berries ready for picking; they just need the customers to make their way out there.
“Well, the crowds haven't started yet because we have the 90-degree heat we've had the last. Anytime it gets over 85 degrees in Ohio, people start to melt,” said Sprenger.
They'll pick what they can as they adjust to whatever Mother Nature hands them.
“Whatever your occupation you are in life, there are good things and bad things. So you're just dealing with it. Do the best you can not worry,” said Sprenger.
