(WICHITA, Kan.) — “By this fall, we've had this drought now two years. You're not going to recoup it in one or two good rains,” said Ned Bergkamp, who farms near Garden Plain.
Cautious optimism is the attitude of many Kansas farmers after this weekend's heavy rains. Whether you've been fighting to grow a crop, plant one or just keep your lawn alive the rains were welcome. But, we can't stop now.
“It was a help,” said Bergkamp. But was it too little, too late? The two or so inches that fell on Bergkamp's fields might be enough to help out his summer double bean crop.
“It depends on if we get some more rain a couple weeks from now,” Bergkamp said.
But the real benefit comes when he thinks about his winter wheat which is not yet in the ground.
“We can finally start preparing the ground for planting,” Bergkamp said. “Before, you start thinking, ‘Dang, I'm going to have to dust this wheat in,’ and, ah... which is, you know, really puts you out on a limb. But you keep that in mind, there's always that possibility. And this here starts giving you hopes that you won't have to go down that road.”
