Promising Baldwin County Crops

Alabama Baldwin County We've all seen the images flooded towns and devastated crops. While heavy rains have meant disaster for Midwest farmers crops in our area are looking good.

by Debbie Williams

Published: Mon, June 30, 2008 - 5:00 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, July 28, 2008 - 9:51 pm CST

We've seen the images from the Midwest, flooded towns, homes and devastated crops. While the rain has meant disaster for Midwest farmers, crops in Baldwin County couldn't look better.
Thunder rolls over the fields Eric Street and his brothers have farmed for twenty years. "We grow a little bit of corn, soybeans wheat and cotton peanuts and pecans little bit of everything." The rain is falling again on his Fairhope fields, it's a welcome sight here. "We can't complain about the rain it's been coming when we need it so far."
Too much rain has taken it's toll on corn crops in the Midwest, not so in Baldwin County.
County Extension agent Richard Petcher says Baldwin County could have a bumper corn crop. Overall he says crops are looking "very promising" although it is still early and anything can happen.
From soybeans to corn it's shaping up to be a pretty good season. But farmers aren't ready to pat themselves on the back just yet. Like their counterparts in the Midwest they know mother nature will have the final say according to Street. "We understand with all the hurricanes and droughts that we've been through it's a different situation than floods. A disaster is disaster. It's making prices higher for us which we'll benefit from but certainly our hearts go out to those families and people that put their livelihood on the line to make these crops."
Farming is a risky business no matter what part of the country you're in, that risk may just pay off this year for Baldwin County farmers.
"We've got a long way to go yet I don't want to be pretentious and say how good we're going to do. Hopefully we'll do well the potential is certainly there."
The wheat harvest in Baldwin County was good according to Petcher. Soybean, peanut and cotton crops also have the potential for a bumper season.

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