Colorado Farmers Are Bracing For A Long Drought

I don’t have to tell you how incredibly important farmers are and how we must protect them at all costs. From dawn to dusk, and sometimes through the night, farmers work the land to supply the population with key elements for survival… like, you know, food.

But with the lack of moisture over the past several months, there is a major fear that crops will be negatively affected. Agriculture brings in roughly $47 billion in revenue to Colorado, and a lot of that is now at risk due to the elements. Across the state, phrases are being tossed around like “abnormally dry” and “exceptional drought.” That’s not good.

Here’s something I didn’t know before today: wheat production relies primarily on natural precipitation rather than man-made irrigation systems.

Here are the crops we should be worried about

• Corn, and this is a big one. Due to the lack of snowpack and rain, some farmers are even opting out of corn and switching to other types of crops.
• Wheat is at a high risk for completely drying out.
• Vegetables like lettuce and onions obviously need water to grow, and that's a big problem right now.

If news of the drought isn’t enough for you, let’s talk about fuel prices and low commodity prices. According to the good folks at Colorado Wheat, the 2024 wheat crop totaled 64 million bushels, valued at about $352 million. Sadly, without significant rainfall, farmers are concerned they could lose more than half their winter crops before July.

Bottom line: Unhealthy crops don’t sell, which means a lot of the work and sweat that go into planting and tending have all been for nothing. Pray for moisture, and pray for our farmers.