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2012 Drought, High Temperatures Affect Local Farmers

Snellville Farmers Market vendors have seen crops wither during this record-breaking drought.

 

Although Snellville has had plenty of rain over the past few days, the long dry spell and intense heat had its effect on local farms.

According to Gretchen Schulz, one of the founders of the Snellville Farmers Market and the Snellville Community Garden, said there was one week this year when a few vendors simply did not show up to the market because there was nothing to bring.

For the most part, though, the drought has not had too much of an impact on local crops.

Other parts of the country have not been so lucky. While Georgia is prone to high temperatures during the growing season, the scale of the drought is what has many concerned.   

Over half the country, including Georgia, has been declared a state of national emergency because of the lack of rain.  

The video at the top of this article shows just how bad it has become. 

Dillwood Farms, one of the popular vendors at the market, has their own well on their property.  Because of that, the lack of rain has not been the problem so much as the heat.  

"We've lost some crops to the heat with tomatoes getting sun scald," said Haley Bryant, one of the owners of the farm, "and then with all these storms and the ground is wet for a while, disease runs rampant."   

Thankful for the well, Bryant noted that some other local farms who use creeks for their water have not been doing so well.  At one point, some of the creeks dried up.  

Have you been affected by the drought?  Tell us in the comments!

Related Topics: 2012 drought

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