Current Growing Conditions
Growing conditions - Dry but slightly improved.
(Fred's gripe section)
Finally we have gotten 1 1/2 inch of rain. Hoping this is a start of a weather pattern change to a little wetter, Now is time to plant but marginal moisture to plant on,,,,,,, so we wait, and wait, and wait, but we have seen it all before over the past 40+ years.
The strong La Nina current in the Pacific Ocean is blocking off moisture needed to bring rain to South Texas. This pattern is expected to hold strong through the winter. I much prefer that pattern to switch back to an El Nino.
Rains have avoided us all year long, and we started the year short as it was. It seems like a dome is over us this year shedding off much of the normal rainfall. We are located about equidistant to both Austin and San Antonio. While Austin has logged above normal rainfall, San Antonio is short by about 8 inches. We are short by close to 10 inches. Hoping this pattern will change soon. Water for irrigation here is short and gets expensive so the rest of the season looks tough right now. We do best we can for now.
Farming is not a 9 to 5 job but a lifestyle and what we do and when is governed by the weather conditions at hand. If we seem a bit grumpy at times,,, well we might be really tired. Quality Food is a product of nature, processed crap is of industry.. Nature likes to "make" you one day and "break you" the next.
