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Subscribe to RSSA drought is now gripping more than half of the nation, with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor showing some of the worst areas are expanding. In Tennessee, crops are dying and families are struggling to face the losses. NBC's Thanh Truong reports.
By Thanh Truong, NBC News
BRIGHTON, TENN. -- Times are tough in Tennessee. David McDaniel and his twins look out on their farm fields and see row upon row of withering crops.
"It's hard to know before we harvest but it's going to be at least a 50 percent loss, maybe more," said McDaniel, who still owes tens of thousands of dollars for farm equipment and land. The crops would have helped his family stay out of debt.
Thursday’s Drought Monitor report shows “widespread intensification” in the central U.S. Throughout the country areas in the worst drought categories rose by 50 percent. And in parts of western Tennessee, the drought is categorized as either "extreme" or "severe."
And as farmer Clay Kelley explained, the anticipated crop loss is felt by the entire community.
"When folks get a good crop, everybody gets a new pickup truck. There's not going to be many new pickup trucks running this year," he said.
As times get tougher farmers are more likely to hold on to what they have than buy new vehicles.
"Truck sales are about 50 percent of our business and I would say right now, the way things are going, we are probably looking at a 20 percent decrease in sales towards the fall," said Daniel Allen, sales manager at Country Chevrolet in Brighton, Tenn.
The potential financial losses are mounting, but so is something less visible: stress. David McDaniel's wife, Lisa McDaniel, sees the weight of worry on her husband. As a farmer’s wife she's somewhat used to that. But this time around her 28-year-old twin sons are involved. Their corn, soybean and cotton crops are struggling. This is their first experience with a brutal drought.
"I worry. They're not little anymore but I still worry," Lisa McDaniel said. "I know what David and I have been through but I don't want that on them at all. Now they're going through it, and now they're starting their families and they're going to see what it's like; they're going to realize it. They haven't experienced a bad year. It's scary."
Her son Jeffrey McDaniel has a two-year-old son and another on the way. He and his wife Caroline McDaniel were planning to finish their first house and move in, but that's on hold until they have a better grasp on what the fields will yield. Debt is his biggest worry.
"It's in the back of my mind all the time, not being able to pay back what I owe," said Jeffrey.
His wife does what she can to help.
"I try and remind him not to worry even though that's a really hard thing to do. And just tell him that I have my income coming in and that helps and if I need to work more, I will,” said Caroline, who has a part-time job as a dental hygienist. “We've been going to church, a lot, saying lot of prayers."
Those prayers revolve around rain.
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Oh c'mon we all know this is just a ruse to raise prices for food & gas!
Brought about by the GOP, after all they have the direct line to God.
What will Pat Robertson identify as the Midwest, Red State sins that ushered this judgement from "God?"
I would suggest a failure to embrace Climate Science, but Robertson doesn't believe in science, either.
A natural disaster that affects productivity is a ruse?
I was going to make a joke about these people voting Republican and "letting the market decide their fate" but this comment is just so off I can't do it.
Well, at least it's not another forest fire story.
We should all be grateful for all the work that farmers and their families put in. It wouldn't be very comical if we were all starving and begging for food.
What would happen if the majority of people just waited to be 'discovered' and become famous on one of the numerous reality tv shows? Whenever we eat fresh produce /meat /dairy, etc. we are thankful for those that put food on our plates. Hope you all get some more normal weather very soon.
I live in Memphis and even here one farmer had leased a field near by to grow corn. A month ago i thought to myself "Wow, that corn is looking good. I may have to jump in there a grab and ear or two for myself, once its ready." Now most of it is dead from the heat and lack of rain. People forget that a single corn plant only puts out 1 or 2 ears of corn on average. Even a large field will only put out maybe a truck full of corn, or what a single supermarket might sell in just a few days.
As a former farm boy, I have an inkling of what they are going through. My best wishes for those that feed our nation.
It appears that with global warming, we are becoming like Australia, with moisture on both coasts, but arid in the center. We need to do whatever we can to mitigate this: trickle irrigation, drought resistant crops, etc. The problem is serious, since the area that we will lose to drought feeds 25% of the earth's population.
Australia does not have the great lakes. They make weather of their own.
But when that is gone - look out!
My Heart and prayers go out to those families......I wonder though; perhaps GMO crops are less drought resistant. We should have more deverse crops. It's very sad we have as little types of corn and soybeans because of Montsano and their henchmen!!
No kidding Renny!
Everyone needs to keep these farmers in their thoughts.
I sure hope those seed banks are still up and running - screw Monsanto.
I have a vegetable garden here in the Midwest. It's been brutal keeping them watered and they don't like city water. They like rain for good growing.
krounded, at least your crop is thoroughly disinfected and will not have cavities!
Monsanto and their henchmen carry two edged swords. While on one hand they charge too much and rigorously enforce their patents, they are responsible in part for the high yields in the fields today. This allows farmers to make a decent living, buy equipment, and have a future in farming.
As for the drought, we have lost all the crops on our farm and have progressed to chopping the corn plants. It can rain all we want, but it is just too late to help.
Actually, they are more drought resistant.
Most people have a favorite disaster scenario. Some favor global warming, others favor peak oil. Financial collapse is the favorite of many people but geological cataclysm is favored by others. Regardless of which disaster you may favor, the most immediate problem that develops, as a result of any disaster, will be related to food shortages. Already it is estimated that nearly one billion people are starving on earth.
Most disasters reduce food production or availability. Climate change causes flooding, drought and unseasonable freezes which all reduce food production. Peak oil reduces the availability of petrochemicals for fertilizer and pesticides as well as the fuel to transport food for long distances. Financial collapse makes it more difficult for everyone to produce and purchase food. Geological cataclysm often disrupts or destroys the infrastructure that provides food to many.
Even social disasters are most likely to cause suffering through starvation. When the structures we have built to serve us loose their way and begin to believe that we are here to serve them, they try to monopolize our sources of supply. Whether these are corporate structures, government structures, belief structures or religious structures does not change this pattern.
Nowadays, many people are hungry all of the time. They eat but are not satisfied, so they eat more. But they remain tired and hungry so they have to "sleep it off". I presume that they are still hungry and tired because they are not getting all of the nutrients they need in the food that they eat.
Plants must be the same. They "eat" nutrients which have been solubilized from the soil. They transpire water into the air as the nutrients are removed for food. If there is insufficient nutrition in the plant food that the roots bring in, more water must be transpired into the air to make room for more solubilized minerals from the soil. Unlike people, plants don't get fat when they eat too much; they just waste water.
When we harvest food and ship it elsewhere, we remove essential minerals from the soil and, ultimately, flush them into the seas. Both conventional and organic agriculture only replace some of these essential minerals. This is probably why we have lost over half of our topsoil in the last eighty years and may be why we have the epidemic of obesity.
Our economic situation, the global energy situation and climate change all are aspects of the same problem -- we have created structures to serve us and forgotten that this is why they were created. Often these structures outlive those who created them. Generally when this happens, the structures initially become objects of adoration or even worship but ultimately those who serve these structures begin to believe that everyone else should be serving them as well.
Structures are, by their inherent nature, rigid. We build roofs and walls to resist the rain, wind and sun as long as possible. We build government structures using constitutions that are difficult to change. We build streets that will not get potholes for as long as possible. We build bibles that cannot be changed under penalty of law or damnation. We build corporate structures that must resist competition from new ideas.
Changeless structures are as close to dead as one can get. Even stones erode faster than many of the structures we have created.
All living things are always changing. So how do we relate to the shifts that are happening with energy, the economy and climate without serving the structures that have created these problems? Read about the best solution I have found at:
That is an awesome post! I think you could publish a book if you wanted to........
Cyclical consumption to "grow" the economy .
Economy; thrifty management.
Grow and be thrifty ? more and less ?
Read about the best solution I have found at:
Actually the best solution may be in looking at what the farmer said in the article...
Like our politicians, we seem to have developed the need to spend and borrow whenever we get a few extra shekals rather than save to get us through tough times.
Recent studies seem to indicate that severe drought conditions are primarily caused by a lack of rainfall.
And we paid for the study with million dollar grant!
Federally Subsidized Crop Insurance? Sounds like we are ok with ObamaCare for Crops - just not for people...
Been around forever dip. At least crops feed you instead of get in line for food stamps.
"At least crops feed you instead of get in line for food stamps"
Effen brilliant !
Perhaps they could ask sweet, innocent, 8lb. 6oz. Baby Jesus for rain!
This is what we get for allowing gays to marry.
Snicker.
should we bail them out? or should we let their business fail?
We could let them fail, as I could stand to loose some weight.
At least in this case, if we bail them out, we wouldn't be rewarding their own poor decisions that got them into this mess.
I think we should let them all fail, solely because it's a way to thin the herd. There are simply too many useless, resource wasting people walking around, acting and sounding important, when they really aren't. Darwin just needs to have his day. You can stock up on Ramen noodles for 12 cents a pack. You'll get tired of eating them in a food crises, but they will keep you alive. Let the ghettos starve and go the way of the dodo. those that remain can then take a few moments to remember WHO caused all of this, i.e., politicians....and then we can deal with them as well.
I am no farmer but in retrospect I wondered if we should/could have stock piled some of that wheat, oats, corn, soybeans, grains in gigantic silos for future consumption instead of sending billions in food aide over the years to Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and the starving millions in African countries? FIVE HUNDRED BILLION (500) alone just in Afghanistan in past 10 years. Who is going to help us when we need help? This drought could go on for years. Perhaps America is in store for mass starvation in the near future...........what are we even doing over in the Middle East anyway except for their oil? From my memory it seems as if the USA shot one of their passenger jets down first before they shot one of ours down, they were simply retaliating and wanted us out of their countries....what is that old term "AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH." It would be nice if we could all live in peace and stay in our own countries.....seems like our military have been in Korea for over 60 years now.....we send food aide to them while their government has starved hundreds of thousands of people to build up their military hardware and they already developed missiles that can reach our west coast.....makes no sense to send them food so they can make more babies who will grow up and try to bury us...........
Indeed these are the days like unto the ones in the Old Testament patriach Joseph's life. If you remember the story, Pharaoh dreamed a dream of seven good cows and seven ill cows and seven ears of good corn and seven ears of ill corn. No one but Joseph could interpret the dream. So he was made prime minister of Egypt and he developed a food plan for the coming dearth. "And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same..." And you will remember that "all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands."
"... days like unto..." LOL
There is plenty of crops, some areas of even the US have record harvest. Other countries have no issues. It mostly just going to increase the price so people will spend less on non essentials.
Even most the farmers will be ok. If they were smart they have crop insurance so they should be close to break even. Many sold their crop before it was even planted so a lot of the loss will be taken by the wall street investors everyone hates so much.
I left out Haiti, how many C-130'S and C-17'S did we send down there with food aide? Seems as if America is the worlds keeper.............but we got our military spread out all over, can we withstand a direct attack here in the USA by China, Korea, Russia with all their missiles aimed at us when our troops are fighting in all these different countries?
The lord giveth and the lord taketh away. Trust in your deity.
Really? I been praying every day until it was too late. He didn't answer. Oh, yeah. Must have been a bad thing I done and now I'm paying for it. Or I didn't pray hard enough, is that it?
The good news is that anti big government farmers will not be looking for farm relief and farm subsidy handouts... or will they?
Sheesh, maybe instead of buying new trucks every time they have a good year, farmers should try paying off their debt and opening a savings account instead.
Maybe you ought to go try farming for a living and see what you think you've earned.
I do farm. Everyone around me farms. We've paid off our land. We did it by paying off the land before buying new trucks and taking trips to Disneyland.
Media...
well done. Americans are to quick to spend without thinking, and we wonder where politicians get their wanton spending habits.
may surprise you that farm debt is lower now than its ever been...
Could it be the fact that we are in a spot in space that happens so rarely? That it has never really been written about, or the fact that some people believe there is a second sun that is our binary that is located where we are going in space? maybe this is just a cycle that the earth goes through as it goes through certain areas of space? North pole becomes south pole and a shifting of the land also known as a "pole shift" happens .
Yep, explains everything. Clearly.
You must be joking? LOL
Mrorganic4me you should be teaching science at a major university! Wow! </snarky comments>
I think you've been reading too many 'Gor' novels.
Kansas and most of Central US is in severe to extreme draught. Farmers & Ranchers do not have feed for their Cattle and Hogs and are taking them to market in droves. The price of pork and beef is dropping now in the stores for the next 60-90 days or more. Then around Thanksgiving and Christmas through next year we are going to pay sky high prices for beef and pork. Sucrose is made from corn and anything with Sucrose in it is also going up in prices. Ketchup, BBQ Sauce, everything. Stock up soon and save while you can.
And you think manufacturers are not going to capitalize on this NOW? I smell extra profit!
deweydan...
Yep that old supply and demand sure will come in handy if you got the storage space.
Bob-620072...
Yep, but not in the way you think. Airlines look to lock in fuel costs with a long term contract. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Strange -- I've been in the sales and marketing end of the beef business for over 45 years and I've never spoken to a cattle feeder who has ever admitted to making a single dime in his entire life. Yet they keep expanding their herd and buying more land.
This is a cyclical business. When things are good, they are great. Farmers and ranchers have had some very good years recently. Now -- things may change. But the cycle has been going on for a very long time.
We need to tell the government to stop all the global warming now or else all the polar ice caps will melt and then we will have the rising sea levels and more EuroAsian Milfoil and Zebra Mussells.
there are no handouts. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you lazy bums!
No pityparty for the farmers!! and no handout welfare crap either! I have no sympathy for morons that keep voting for Republicans that continue refusing that man induced Climate Change does'nt exist!!! go ahead keep believing what you want because this is'nt going away and there's no "OFF SWITCH" sure we'll get rain again,but droughts will be more often and more severe........and all of this translates into HIGHER FOOD PRICES FOR ALL!! which hurts the economy more???? higher food prices,shortages,severe droughts and massive flooding on one side.....or tax subsidies for oil companies???? we ALL know where the Gas and Oil Party has stood for decades.
Got a garden to provide for all your needs?
Otherwise, derrick, YAF'ed.
Well, I hope that you enjoy eating your pets, since that's going to be about the only option for people if the government follows your advice and doesn't do anything to help farmers.
Derrick, look on the bright side, you can continue to suckle on the government teet while nature continues its cyclical course. Actually, with a fast growing world population the drought may be a much needed population control device.
What were all those hardcore survivalists saying about growing your own food?
Gowin' mine, shan. Your milk comming form the store?
Look on the bright side:
All those American fatties will be dieting whether they want to or not. Mother Nature is about to cure the American obesity epidemic.
Eat the rich.
If ever there was a reason to start a donations website for someone this would be it. These are the hard working people that help put food on our tables and they sure could use our help right now. Maybe if someone verbally abused them someone might start one.
It looks like the Bible Belt isn't immune to God's judgment, after all.
Are we supposed to feel bad? I lived in Western TN and they are cold-hearted people and when I had a hard time..this is what I was told by these racist, hateful and heartless people. Do not ask for help or government assistance from the black president...do not beg...do not ask...you are on your own..deal with it. It's all your fault you are in this shape..quit whining and if you can't pay your bills, tough luck. You will not get sympathy for going through hard times.
I love karma!
Let me guess..you aren't insured or do not get government subsidies? Yea right...hypocrites. Go pray and see if it works. Seems to me that you sure do live off the government programs..different ones maybe, but still government handouts. Yet you sit in judgment of others.
Screw the ignorant hillbillies in Tennessee. They want to put their trust in God? Start praying azzholes!
And I'm supposed to give a crap when these morons fall on hard times? Screw them! I'll get my produce from South America. And laugh about it.
Best of luck with "States Rights" Tennessee. And I'm sure you'll be refusing federal aid because you're so principled, right?
Hey, Mofongo, most of us in that little town 20 miles south of where this segment was filmed (you may have heard of it...Memphis) really don't fit in that characterization you submit of us Southerners. And for you to wish misery on people who may not agree with you and I, well, then you're just part of the problem, sir.
I would have to disagree..if you are not part of the solution to fix these attitudes in TN sir, you are part of the problem. Personally, I think you all deserve whatever you get. I have never seen such backwoods, racist, hateful and uncaring people in my life as I did in Tennessee. Not to mention ignorant. Turn off Fox News in the businesses and at home and start getting the facts.
You want proof..read the Volunteers for Freedom Tea Party article in the Paris Post Intelligencer newspaper. Nobody in TN gives a damn about anyone else so do not expect me to give a damn about them. And they call themselves Christians...what a joke.
You are absolutely on the money, Mofongo.
Mofongo and kitty....
LMAO! Your facts sure do get in the way. What are you going to do when the politicians run out of OPM? Raid your neighbors garden? Siphon their vehicles gas tank to put in your own? I know, you will go crying to the local church sponsered food bank for a handout and then whine about what they have.
Nah, I'll just keep buying products from other countries and pay for it with offshore investments after you Teabaggers trash the economy in the USA and turn this into a 3rd world nation with no labor protections and no middle class with a 3rd rate education system and zero access to healthcare.
You on the other hand can always pray for a better existence in the "next life".