Dry summer leads to petite, prize-winning pumpkins

MUSCLE SHOALS - Recent rains might have dulled the drought, but the effects of one of the driest summers on record are evident in the field crop exhibits at the North Alabama State Fair.

"You're looking at the effects of the drought right there," said Charles Andrews, a regional agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System after judging the entries Tuesday. "The big pumpkins are normally two to three times the size they are this year. We didn't have any giant watermelons this time."

There was only one exhibit each in the yellow and white corn competitions. Normally there are five or more of each color.

In addition to the drought, the impact of an April freeze is also evident in the exhibits.

"We didn't have any fruits entered this year. Normally, we have a lot of apples and pears, but the Easter weekend freeze killed most of the fruit around here this year," he said.

Andrews said the number of entries this year is about 75 percent of normal.

Even with fewer entries and smaller fruits and vegetables, Andrews said the overall quality of the exhibits is high.

"What was entered looks really good," he said. "It was hard to pick a winner in some categories because every entry was really good."

While field crop numbers are down, horticulture and cut flower exhibits are plentiful.

Andrews admits being a little surprised by the quality of the crops grown during the exceptional drought conditions that plagued north Alabama this year.

Rainfall in the Shoals is more than a foot below normal this year. Rainfall in August and so far this month has been above normal, which helped ease the drought.

While more rain is needed to break the drought, fair patrons do not have to worry about getting rained on this week. Brian Carcone, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Birmingham, said no rain is expected this week. "It looks like great weather for a fair."

Temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s during the day and 60s at night.

The fair runs through Sunday.

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