Baldwin Drought Puts Crops at Risk

In most parts of Baldwin County the clouds promise but they don't deliver.
"Very dry. Very, very dry." Darlene Bishops family has farmed here for years. Thanks to irrigation they have corn, squash and potatoes but that water has dried up too. "Unless you're irrigating, I don't see how they'll save anything because they're saying no rain for the next seven or eight days."

For crops in the field, this next month is critical. Experts say without any rain they could be at risk. "It depends on where you are in the county. Some people have got some rain while others have not." Malcomb Pegues heads Auburn University's Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center. "If we don't get some moisture crops are going to be hurt and the yield is going to be way down and there's a lot of cost in growing these crops. Farmers are going to lose out."

Bishop has already written part of her crops off. "The acres we did not water, I don't think they'll be making anything unless there is a miracle."

More farmers are hoping for that same miracle as they ready their fields for crops that may never survive. Parts of Baldwin County are a foot below the normal rainfall amounts for this time of the year.