By: Daniel Nardini
All anyone has to do is look at the grass to know that we are in a serious drought. We have either not seen any rain at all or at best just a little rain shower every now and then. But by and large this is a very, very dry summer. It has been bad for seniors, and especially bad for people on low incomes. This is because it is hard for them to turn on any air-conditioning even if they have it. For those without air-conditioning it has been nothing less than a disaster. Even though we are not seeing 100 plus degrees that we saw in the beginning of July, this heatwave has still been setting some records for hot days. This week we are having not as serious hot days as before. Many suburban communities so far are not experiencing any serious water shortages yet. A lot of our water comes from Lake Michigan. However, if you go well outside the Chicago area, the picture begins to change dramatically.
I have seen whole rows of cornfields withering and dying. At best, the corn crops in certain places might bear some corn ears, although not many. At worst, the corn stocks have already turned yellow and have died. Overall, the soybeans seem O.K. If the drought continues for any longer, then the soybeans might be affected too. The ground looks hard and cracked. I did not see cattle being seriously affected by the drought, although the farmers are keeping them more inside than outside. Like everything else, cattle and pigs and even chickens cannot be exposed to too much sunlight and heat or otherwise they will die as well. Many rural towns are being affected by the prolonged heat. Many of these towns depend on well water, and this drought is beginning to affect the water supply. In one town I passed through, residents have to be careful about drinking the water because it has been contaminated due to the fact that lack of water has allowed bacteria to get into the limited water supply and flourish.
What does this mean for us? It means above all else that we will be paying more for grain, fruits and vegetables, and grain products. We have to remember that a lot of our products are made from corn or with some corn in them. With the corn crop being affected we will see higher prices on a whole list of items in our grocery store. Unless we have something similar to this year, I think we will remember this long, hot summer for a couple of years.
The Drought
By: Daniel Nardini
I have seen whole rows of cornfields withering and dying. At best, the corn crops in certain places might bear some corn ears, although not many. At worst, the corn stocks have already turned yellow and have died. Overall, the soybeans seem O.K. If the drought continues for any longer, then the soybeans might be affected too. The ground looks hard and cracked. I did not see cattle being seriously affected by the drought, although the farmers are keeping them more inside than outside. Like everything else, cattle and pigs and even chickens cannot be exposed to too much sunlight and heat or otherwise they will die as well. Many rural towns are being affected by the prolonged heat. Many of these towns depend on well water, and this drought is beginning to affect the water supply. In one town I passed through, residents have to be careful about drinking the water because it has been contaminated due to the fact that lack of water has allowed bacteria to get into the limited water supply and flourish.
What does this mean for us? It means above all else that we will be paying more for grain, fruits and vegetables, and grain products. We have to remember that a lot of our products are made from corn or with some corn in them. With the corn crop being affected we will see higher prices on a whole list of items in our grocery store. Unless we have something similar to this year, I think we will remember this long, hot summer for a couple of years.