'We gotta go': Farmers forced to act with more than 80% of Wisconsin in drought

 

DARIEN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- While Wisconsinites are usually excited to see green and gold in September, that's not necessarily the case for farmers like Mike Koehl.

This type of green and gold, signifying dried out cornstalks and soybean fields, is a problem for farmers dealing with drought conditions that, as of Monday, covered nearly 82% of Wisconsin, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Koehl Farms is just outside of Darien, in a part of southwest Walworth County that's considered to be in severe drought.

Koehl, 72, spent Monday cutting up corn. Normally, he'd be harvesting that corn later in the month, but Koehl said he had to act now because if the corn gets any drier, it'll be too dry to turn into feed for his dairy cows.

"We gotta go. It's go time," Koehl said. "If it's later than this, [the corn] don't chop up for the cows, then cows can't turn into milk. They just [poop] it out. It goes right through them."

Koehl said the drought has also stunted the growth of his hay and soybeans. The hot, dry air also affects his 60 cows' ability to produce milk. Typically, he said each of those cows will produce about 80 pounds of milk per day.

"They drop in production, drop almost 15 pounds a cow per day," Koehl said. "That's volume, that's what we get paid for."

This type of statewide drought is rare

J.J. Wood, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Sullivan, said it's unusual to see so much of Wisconsin in some stage of drought.

"Just looking at the last 23 years of data, I can see maybe two or three drought events that have been this extensive," Wood said.

For many parts of the state, the difference between moderate and severe drought is a matter of sheer luck.

Koehl noted how some farms just five miles away were faring better. Wood said that's what happens with summertime showers that can pop up and give isolated areas some much-needed precipitation.

"Especially in the summertime with thunderstorms, that certainly be the case because it's so localized," Wood said. "Some areas can get quite a bit of rain, and then areas just a few miles away may not see much, if anything."

Wood said Southeast Wisconsin overall has had about two to four fewer inches of rain than it'd typically see by this point in the year. Other parts of the state, like the southwest and south central regions, are four to seven inches below average. 

Agriculture isn't the only thing affected by this drought, either. Wood said, as it persists, the dry conditions could lower river levels to the point where navigation is hampered for vessels on the Mississippi, and fishermen throughout the state could have a harder time reeling in big catches due to shallower, warmer waters.

Wood added, typically, it takes six to nine months for drought conditions to improve. 

Koehl said this year's drought only compounds his problems since the two previous summers were also drier than usual. Last year, he had to take the unusual step of buying hay because he wasn't able to grow enough himself. 

Still, the lifelong farmer said he was taking the ongoing challenges in stride.

"We usually get by some way," he said. "You just make less money."