Shoals farmers welcome muddy pastures

R.L. Behel doesn't mind if a passing shower rains out a day of work on his farm.

Muddy fields and pastures are greatly preferred over the parched ground that Behel, a Greenhill corn, soybean and cattle farmer, has seen as a prolonged drought tightens its grip on north Alabama.

He and other farmers have welcomed the limited relief that some parts of the region have experienced in recent days.

"Everything looks a lot better than it did a week or 10 days ago," Behel said. "The little rain we have received has really helped.

"If we had not received that rain when we did, a lot of fields and pastures would be dead now."

Behel is hopeful that part of his crop can be salvaged now.

Much of the Shoals is more than 18 inches below normal rainfall levels for the year.

Since June 24, some northwest Alabama communities have received more than 2 inches of rain. Others have received only a trace.

Behel said one of his fields received almost an inch of rain Sunday, while a pasture less than 5 miles away received none.

Behel said each scattered shower raises the hopes of the farmer who tends to the field or pasture where it falls.

"If we can get some more rain by the end of this week and some more next week, we'll have pretty good prospects for making a good crop," he said.

A slight chance of rain is in the forecast through Monday.

Behel said every drop would help.

"Anything we get soaks in," he said. "The ground so dry, hardly anything is running off."

Tim Reed, Franklin County coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said scattered thundershowers during the past week have helped.

"We've got some corn that has a chance now of making a crop, especially in the west end of the county where they've had more rain," Reed said. "Some corn is too far gone to save and will have to be cut for silage. Cotton and soybeans have still got a chance to make a good crop, if we keep getting rain."

In late June, many farmers were doubtful their fields would produce enough corn, soybeans or cotton to warrant harvesting.

The Alabama Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday that 70 percent of the corn fields around the state were in very poor condition and none were excellent. The survey found 40 percent of cotton fields, 45 percent of soybean fields and 57 percent of pastures were in very poor condition.

Randall Armstrong, extension coordinator in Lauderdale County, said pastures and hayfields have been hit especially hard by the drought. He said many cattle farmers have reduced their herd or sold all their animals. Some of those who have retained their cattle are having hay shipped in from Arkansas and other states to feed their cattle.

Armstrong said the drought is far from over, but each shower or thunderstorm that moves through northwest Alabama rejuvenates parched fields and pastures -- at least temporarily.

Behel said it's interesting that much of the recent rain came after Gov. Bob Riley asked Alabamians to pray for rain.

"I've always felt like prayer can help," he said.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.