On the tail of a heat wave, farmers in Northeast Ohio are also battling abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions across the region.
John Schoenhals of the Ohio State University Extension Educator of Lorain County tells newsnet5.com that corn crops have already been hurt by the drought conditions and will continue to lose yield if conditions persist.
At the Ohio City Farm, the largest contiguous urban farm in the country, farmers have the unique challenge of battling drought conditions in a city environment.
“You know the idea of watering things with watering cans or something — that’s just not possible,” said Maggie Fitzpatrick who serves as the Director for Agricultural Empowerment for the 6-acre farm.
Fitzpatrick said Ohio City Farm has the privilege of being allowed to tap water from city hydrants, but without it, their farm would be unsustainable.
“If it wasn’t for the City of Cleveland and the ability to use the water we wouldn’t be able to farm here especially in a year when it’s dry like this,” she said.
Site Manager Lar Doe told newsnet5.com that the heat has cut short the seasons of plants like spinach, baby kale and other mixed greens.
“Even to start the new seed, they can’t survive the heat,” Doe explained.
He said no amount of city water is a match for natural rain water.
While the drought conditions are tough for some plants, others that thrive in heat — like okra — are flourishing in the Ohio City Garden.
