SASSER, Ga. (WALB) -While some crops are holding on through dry conditions, others across South Georgia are struggling to even get started.

Across South Georgia, farmers are keeping a close eye on the sky, waiting for beneficial rain that hasn’t come. At Mark’s Melon Patch, preparations are underway for their upcoming strawberry festival. Strawberries are holding up in the dry conditions, allowing the farm to stay on track for the event.

“Right now, I mean, it’s been great on strawberries and, you know, I know most farmers wouldn’t agree because they want more water right now. I would like more water, too. But as far as what the strawberry crop, it’s been good for it because it likes kind of dry weather, so we can supply the water,” said Mark Daniel, owner of Mark’s Melon Patch.

Drought threatens row crops

Farmers say the drought could also impact major row crops like corn and peanuts across South Georgia.

Unlike strawberries, those crops depend on moisture in the soil to germinate. But with dry ground and low aquifer levels, farmers say crops like corn, peanuts, or cotton could struggle to sprout.

“I had to say, if you could get, say, an inch of rain once a week, that would be, like, probably a perfect scenario, but that doesn’t happen like that, you know. But, you know, you take it when you can get it and be thankful when you do get it and just make it work, you know, and hopefully your groundwater, you know, holds out. That’s one of the biggest concerns,” Daniel said.

For now, farmers say all they can do is wait and hope for beneficial rain before it’s too late in the season.

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