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Drought Affecting Local Farmers

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- While it has generally been a Spring filled with pleasant, rain-free weather, the lack of rain could spell trouble for local farmers.

Many are getting dangerously close to having trouble this growing season. Farmers across region are closely monitoring.

"A lot of farms our farms the animals water supply is either springs or wells or a combination of. Springs are the first things that would dry up and disappear 'cause it's surface water," says Gary Sheppart, District Director of the Pennsylvania State Extension Office.

Many farmers say they need to get at least an inch of rain each week to properly water their crops. But Western Pennsylvania has not seen much consistent rain so far this spring – only passing thunderstorms.

A drought watch is already in place in Westmoreland, Indiana and Cambria counties.

Farmers are already taking steps to protect their crops by spacing plants farther apart. Irrigation is usually reserved for extreme water shortages, but there are already signs of stress in some plants.

Experts say the current water shortage started months ago. Because Western Pennsylvania got less snow this past winter, there was less moisture in the ground when farmers began to plant their crops.

"It's dry, the ground is dry," said Hill Schramm of Schramm Farms and Orchards. "There's nothing down in the ground. The only water plants are getting is from the sky and there' hasn't been enough of it."

The lack of rain this spring hasn't helped. As plants grow, they require more water to survive.

Unless we see some steady rain soon, farmers may have more trouble later in the summer. But many say it's too early to tell.

The lack of rain could also affect Pennsylvania financially. Farming and agriculture-related fields are a big part of the economy in Pennsylvania. The industry injects about $75 billion into the economy every year, according to a report from the State Department of Agriculture. There are hundreds of farms in Western Pennsylvania.

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