MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt says this year’s drought is historic, with conditions across the state not seen since the 1930s.
The Eastern Panhandle, which had been in a severe drought through June and July got a bit of respite from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby August 8-9.
This year’s dry conditions gives West Virginia a dubious distinction:
He says it’s been challenging to feed livestock:
The drought is impacting vegetable farmers and those who sell at farmers markets:
As to what farmers and producers can do:
He says even small farms should sign up for help or tell the story of how the drought has
West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt
affected them. “Even in the smallest farm, make sure you are registered with the Farm Service Agency. Tell them what’s going on on your farm, because that information gets fed into the national database that designates the drought conditions for the region.”
Leonhardt calls the drought a ‘once in a lifetime’ event for him. He asks for patience for those reaching out to his office. “Please be patient with them. They’re getting flooded. Nobody has seen this kind of drought before, so it’s going to take all hands on deck, a little bit of patience, and everybody working together,” he says. “We’ll get through this.”
Commissioner Kent Leonhardt was a guest on Wednesday’s Panhandle Live.
Go to agriculture.wv.gov for drought resources.
