Farmers Praying for Rain

The intense heat and lack of rain hitting New Jersey could jeopardize a Westfield institution, the weekly farmer's market.

While the farmer's market, which started on Saturday is not in danger of shutting down, the drought warning and the stark projection for the state's agriculture industry issued by the governor have farmers set up in Westfield worried about how much fresh Jersey produce they will have to sell this year.

According to njdrought.org, a website that records rainfall statistics and issues warnings and tips on drought conditions, New Jersey is in the midst of a serious dry spell. Of New Jersey's 21 counties, eight are reported as having up to 25% less rain than normal. The remaining 13 are reported as getting up to 50% less rain. The website also shows all reservoirs as either below or soon to be below average.

Gov. Chris Christie urged citizens on July 7th to conserve water as much as possible. He stated that while there was no immediate risk of the state running out of drinking water, the Garden State's farms are in danger.

The farmers, with their pavilions of produce set up in the Westfield train station parking lot on Saturday morning, agree with the governor's projection.

Brett, from Monroe Township, said, "Everything's taking longer to grow. This heat's really drying things out."

Helen Donaldson, of Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, concurs. "Fortunately, we have irrigation. But unless we get rain soon, there isn't much we can do."

She hopes to bring their tomato crop to the market within the next few weeks, but she expressed concern. "It's just so ungodly dry."

Jeremy Compton, from Pittstown, is also worried. "We had a surplus going into the season from the wet winter, but the heat's drying everything up." Compton, gazing at his table of fresh sweet corn, added, "The corn's really going to be in trouble soon." Compton too has irrigation, and is glad of it. However, unless there is a significant amount of rain, even that will not be enough.

"It's not terribly critical yet, but it will be soon," he said.