‘Super, super dry’: How southeast Wisconsin farms are bracing driest July since 1936
CBS 58 OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) — As July continues, the lack of rain is starting to have an impact on Village Farmstead in Oak Creek.
“It’s super bad for the plants. It stunts their growth,” Village Farmstead's Sam Odin said. “It’s about half the yield already that we’re getting compared to what the expectation would have been.”
According to the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, this is Milwaukee's driest July since 1936.
From July 1 through July 22, Milwaukee received 0.16 inches of rain, compared with 0.05 inches during the same period in 1936.
“Southeast Wisconsin has been super, super dry so far this July,” Climate Outreach Specialist Amanda Latham said.
The region has also been dealing with fluctuating weather conditions throughout the summer, with record-setting wet and dry months.
“We looked at other major cities in Wisconsin going back to the early 1900s, and we couldn’t find records of any other city flipping that quickly between those two record extremes,” Latham said.
The combination of heat, changing conditions and the lack of rain has begun to affect Village Farmstead.
“It’s just been up and down, no consistency,” Odin said. “I could really go for some rain right now. I think I’m getting ready to sacrifice at least one chicken, if that works.”
The farm has been forced to water more as the dry stretch continues.
“Everything’s probably going about two to three times as long as it always is, but nothing waters like the rain,” Odin said. “You predict the unpredictable.”
