Environment

Farmers around the Midwest are seeing their crops and livestock die in the midst of one of the most severe droughts in the region in years. The drought was recently upgraded in severity to “Exceptional Drought,” the highest level on the drought severity scale. United States Department of Agriculture officials are looking at ways to help out farmers. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Karis Gutter toured the region last week to meet with farmers. WKMS’s Shelly Baskin spoke with Gutter about what he learned.

There’s probably as many or more bass being caught at night now as there are in the daytime because it’s been so ‘dadblamed’ hot. A lot of folks are waiting for the temperature to cool down into the low 80s or high 70s in the evening before they head out on the water. The lake level is holding at around 359 feet — if only because of the afternoon thunderstorms they’ve been having in Tennessee and north Alabama — and they’re not pulling much water at the dam.

While most farmers can expect reduced yields this year, beekeepers look forward to a bumper honey crop. Flowering plants produce thicker nectar when moisture is scarce, and that makes a bee’s job a little easier.