New Jersey is now considering issuing a drought warning dry conditions remain throughout the Garden State.
In the strong wind and after weeks of dry weather, Jeff Tober harvested red cabbage on Tuesday afternoon, which was much smaller than in recent years.
“It’s still alive, it’s coming, but we should have harvested this a few weeks ago,” said Tober, manager of Rancocas Creek Farm in Southampton, Burlington County.
Tober is growing produce and organic vegetables but says he has never seen the 20 hectares of farmland so brown and dry. He said the farm has only received about 3/10 of an inch of rain since Aug. 17.
“We got another 3/10 last Sunday night, so that’s half an inch of rain in almost three months. We normally get 10 to 12 inches of rain in that time,” he said.
A drought warning was issued in New Jersey in mid-October. With the state’s reservoirs and groundwater levels below normal and falling rapidly, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection held a public hearing Tuesday on current drought conditions.
“Since mid-August, almost three months, we’ve had a 10-inch deficit. There’s been two inches of decline, so that again shows the magnitude,” said Dave Robinson, the NJ State Climatologist.
The DEP is now considering issuing a drought warning to preserve the state’s water supply. This means that people and companies are still encouraged to voluntarily save water. If conditions do not improve, a drought crisis could be declared with mandatory restrictions.
Tober spoke at the meeting and mentioned the past few weeks of brutality on the farm. He says he has already seen lower yields of potatoes, lettuce and leeks due to the dry weather, and now he is worried about next year.
“We haven’t been able to get ground cover in, which is really essential for protecting the soil for the winter,” Tober said.
Gov. Phil Murphy, the DEP and other state officials will hold another briefing Wednesday morning to discuss possible drought warning status and the lingering impacts of this period without significant rainfall.
Ryan Hughes
