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Conway farmers look to fall season after summer drought challenges

The summer heat and lack of rain impacted many Arkansas farmers, from their crops to livestock, and now those farmers are thankful fall is right around the corner.

CONWAY, Ark. — The summer drought took a toll on a lot of farmers in Arkansas— Many felt the impact across the board from their crops to their livestock.

One of the farmers who was severely impacted by those droughts was Michael Lee.

I am the farm manager owner here at the Flying C Ranch, which is a commercial cow-calf operation, emphasizing in farm to table program,” explained Lee.

Like many, Lee had to face several challenges because of the extremely hot summer and the lack of rain.

At the end of July, and 1st of August, there was a consolidation of herds,” said Lee.

He also added that they don't have the same livestock that they had two months ago. 

The lack of livestock is just one problem that he has had to deal with. 

Most recently, Lee has had to work hard to ensure the animals he does have are fed.

“So that's my biggest concern going forward is having enough hay to feed my animals through the winter months,” said Lee.

Experts such as Dr. Vic Ford with the U of A System Division of Agriculture explained that Lee isn't alone in how he's been feeling and that he also hasn't been the only one that has had to deal with those problems.

“We’re still seeing some stress with hay production. And we're seeing some stress with getting winter forages in the ground for those farmers,” said Dr. Ford.

He added that at one point this summer, there was a sigh of relief.

The rains we got in August, for the most part, alleviated a lot of the drought,” said Dr. Ford.

Thanks to that much-needed rain, Lee was able to produce more hay to feed his cattle but explained that it’s still not enough.

“I'm at 700 bales of hay and I need 1000. And I'm not going to get that extra 300,” said Lee. “So, I'm going to have to start shopping for hay, which will be the first time we've ever done that here on the fancy ranch.”

Though it's been a challenging summer for Lee, he has been hopeful that better days will come this fall.

I really believe once we get through this, I think we'll be okay and we'll start rebuilding our herd and come back better next year,” said Lee.

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