LEXINGTON, S.C. — Dry conditions and a drought are the worst combination for farmers. A little less than half the state is at least abnormally dry right now, which is impacting crops and harvests.
"This year it was cool, cool, cool, and heat just like that," Land Steward Jason Roland said.
Lots of heat and little rain, a duo farmers are not fond of.
"It’s been interesting as it always is," Roland said. "We’ve been having to water 12 to 14 hours out of the day. We are definitely in a drought.”
Jason Roland is the owner of Organically Roland in Lexington. He grows potatoes, kale, corn, squash and beans, but without rain, he is working in overdrive to water his crops
According to the United States Drought Monitor, 18.4% of the Palmetto State is under a moderate drought and 40% is at least abnormally dry.
"We are at a really critical point now where we are starting to see the beginning of some drought," Eva Moore said.
Eva Moore is the Communication Director for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and she said farmers are concerned for the rest of the harvesting season.
"The way the crops are growing right now determines the rest of the season, right? Things need to have enough water to come up well," Moore said. "If we do see the drought get worse, we do start to worry about things.”
Roland said a drought can be one of the worse things for a farmer and creates a lot of extra steps. "There’s nothing to do but keep water on everything and figure how to rain dance or something and hope for some rain to fall," Roland said.
He isn’t the only farmer praying for rain.
"Hopefully we’ll work this out and get some good rain," Nat Bradford said. "Hopefully some of those thunderstorms will show up and cool the ground and keep our crops growing.”
Farmer Nat Bradford who owns and operates Bradford Family Farm in Sumter said the drought will lead to other issues.
"It’s going to have a ripple effect," Bradford said. "The United States is so big and, of course, we transport produce from all over the world, but the further you have to go to get your produce, the more fuel, the more cost associated with it, so you’re going to see prices go up if a region suffers from drought.”