Local
Oklahoma farms tally crop losses after downpours dump up to 11 inches
Heavy rain replenished ponds and may benefit wheat, but flooding washed away seed and left crops vulnerable to rot. Farmers in Edmond and Hinton say it could take days or weeks to learn the extent of the damage.
Heavy rain that soaked parts of Oklahoma over roughly two days brought much-needed water to drought-strained farms, but also flooded fields, washed away seed and put crops at risk of rotting.
Kevin Marshall, owner of Indigo Acres in Edmond, said his farm received 7.5 inches of rain in 36 hours. The water swept cover-crop seed from one field, which he plans to replant once the ground dries.
About 3,000 pounds of carrots could also be lost if saturated soil causes them to rot before harvest. Marshall estimated the crop’s value at about $8,000, though he said the potential loss could be closer to $7,000.
The rain has been a mixed outcome for the farm, Marshall said, arriving after a difficult year of drought. If conditions dry out, he hopes to harvest the carrots in three to four weeks.
At Krehbiel Farms in Hinton, fifth-generation farmer Brittany Hukill said the farm received more than 11 inches in two days. Drought had forced an early harvest in August, and about a third of the farm’s wheat had been planted when the rain arrived.
The storms refilled depleted ponds, Hukill said, but waterlogged fields may prevent some newly planted wheat from sprouting. Farmers could have to replant, even as seed is in short supply. Wheat that had been in the ground for about a week may be far enough along to survive, while seed planted only a few days earlier remains more uncertain.
Farmers are waiting for fields to dry and crops to respond before deciding what to do next. The consequences of the rainfall may not be clear for days or weeks.