HILLSBORO, Ohio — At Lucas Organic Farms shop in Hillsboro, the fried and fresh produce lining the shelves represent a tiny fraction of their total operation.
Mark Lucas said their main operation is a livestock farm a few miles east on the outskirts of Marshall Township, but the recent lack of rain and oppressive heat has pushed the operation to the brink of collapse.
"It's bad," he said.
"It's really bad," his wife Brooke agreed, standing beside him in the office.
The two said they've already dipped into their winter hay supply to feed their livestock as the fields dried up, and they're relying on the property's single pond for drinking water as two streams have run dry as well.
Lucas said his neighbors who are unable to find supplemental hay or water have been reducing their herd sizes to get by.
"We have one that's cut down 18%," he said. "I know another guy that's cut down 27%. This is just so they can get through on their winter feed."
The couple said, without help, the drought could lead some owners to bankruptcy.
"It's really devastating because we all work so hard every day to keep this way of life going," Brooke said.
Ohio Farm Bureau spokesman Ty Higgins said row crops like corn and soybeans have also been hit hard by the drought he called "historic."
"In some cases, this is the worst drought we have seen in a generation," Higgins said. "In the case of the drought monitor, which was introduced in 2000, we're seeing this extreme drought in the state for the first time since 2012, and for the first time ever on the drought monitor we're seeing exceptional drought."
Higgins said the USDA's disaster area declaration Tuesday would open up additional aid like emergency loans for floundering farms.
He said the drought could cause a spike in prices in grocery stores.
"If something impacts the farm, there's no doubt that the consumer is going to see it at some point and time in the future as well," he said.
Higgins called on all impacted farmers to reach out to their local county Farmers Service Association to get connected to the best programs for them based on their farm. He said the more people reach out to their FSAs, the more likely a more substantial federal response would be.
The Lucas family said they would only consider a loan from the federal government if the terms were favorable for them. Mark said he was praying for rain.
Emergency Disaster Designation and Declaration Process by webeditors on Scribd
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