As of last week, much of lower Michigan was in a moderate drought. Ionia County and the northern half of Barry County were in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Michigan State University Extension says the state received only 28% of normal rainfall between May 1 and June 22.
The unseasonably dry spring has caused some problems for growers, but also a few benefits.
Eric Anderson is a field crops educator at MSU Extension.
“Near records [were] set, as far as number of consecutive days without rain,” Anderson said of spring 2023.
Dry weather in May shortened the asparagus- and strawberry-growing seasons, resulting in a smaller harvest and less for farmers to sell. According to Anderson, by mid-June, unirrigated fields of soybeans and corn were showing signs of stress. But he added that recent rains have helped.
“In general, I'll say our crops were doing really well, for the drought that we were in," Anderson said.
He added that winter wheat is the exception: Despite the rain, without irrigation, wheat fields will suffer, he said.
Scott Paquin is a retired farmer and consultant in the Kalamazoo area who specializes in organic farming. Despite the drought, he said he likes what he's been seeing in the fields.
“I think that actually a drier spring is more beneficial to establishing plants," he said, because growers don't have to deal with "so many diseases and things that can be borne through so much water," said Paquin.
He said fruit orchards and vineyards can benefit from dry weather. As for crops like asparagus and strawberries, Paquin said the shorter growing season is a lesson for shoppers.
“If anything, it's an indication to customers in the buying public that, well, you got to make hay while the sun shines. When the asparagus is ripe, that's a good time to go out and buy asparagus and eat it, and try to eat more seasonally.”
He credits Michigan’s fertile soil and crop diversity with helping farmers to more easily weather a dry season.
“We have some of the most awesome soil in the United States right here. And we are second only to California in diversity of crops grown,” Paquin said.
The drought may soon ease. Michigan’s state climatologist said the state will likely get a normal or close-to-normal amount of rain heading into July.
