Farmers Facing Tough 2013 Following Drought, Severe Winter Weather
By: Josh Berry
Updated: January 5, 2013
Farmers and ranchers in the natural state face tough decisions as we enter the new year. A crippling 2012 drought coupled with a recent severe holiday snow storm has them asking questions on how they need to move forward.
We've seen how the drought hurt production: not being able to keep enough hay and selling off cattle. Saturday (1/5) though, we learned how even this winter season has hurt operations.
Production at the Green Acres farm utterly never stops. They milk about 130 cows twice a day every day for 365 days a year.
It's business as usual Saturday night. It's the way it's been for a very long time.
"Been in the dairy business over 75 years," said owner, Chris Acre.
Acre has seen thousands of utters and tons of milk. One thing he's never seen though:
"I've lived in Arkansas all my life and I've never heard of a blizzard warning."
It's a family business.
"This is the only job I've ever had in my life," said Josh Acre who hopes to take over for his dad. "And maybe hand it down to my kids one day."
Just like every farm in the state though, 2012 was not kind. Profits dropped with most of the money used to keep the cows and in turn the milk tanks full.
Acre added, "Financially it's been a struggle all year long."
Over the holidays when 10 inches of snow covered every acre of their farm he says production slowed with the cows not producing as well.
"You don't know what kind of stress that puts on [cows] especially over the drought we've had too," he said. "Just compounding everything."
Unless the severe winter weather subsides and the new year brings new rains, this family business could be in an utter mess.
Acre said, "We've not made it through this yet."
The Green Acres Farm doesn't imagine they'll be run out of business but knows that's not out of the question for some places. Because of hard times, they say prices of beef and dairy for consumers will likely jump.
We've seen how the drought hurt production: not being able to keep enough hay and selling off cattle. Saturday (1/5) though, we learned how even this winter season has hurt operations.
Production at the Green Acres farm utterly never stops. They milk about 130 cows twice a day every day for 365 days a year.
It's business as usual Saturday night. It's the way it's been for a very long time.
"Been in the dairy business over 75 years," said owner, Chris Acre.
Acre has seen thousands of utters and tons of milk. One thing he's never seen though:
"I've lived in Arkansas all my life and I've never heard of a blizzard warning."
It's a family business.
"This is the only job I've ever had in my life," said Josh Acre who hopes to take over for his dad. "And maybe hand it down to my kids one day."
Just like every farm in the state though, 2012 was not kind. Profits dropped with most of the money used to keep the cows and in turn the milk tanks full.
Acre added, "Financially it's been a struggle all year long."
Over the holidays when 10 inches of snow covered every acre of their farm he says production slowed with the cows not producing as well.
"You don't know what kind of stress that puts on [cows] especially over the drought we've had too," he said. "Just compounding everything."
Unless the severe winter weather subsides and the new year brings new rains, this family business could be in an utter mess.
Acre said, "We've not made it through this yet."
The Green Acres Farm doesn't imagine they'll be run out of business but knows that's not out of the question for some places. Because of hard times, they say prices of beef and dairy for consumers will likely jump.
