Thursday a new report on drought conditions is expected to come out. Many are comparing this year to the worst of the worst devastating droughts in U.S. history. This year is bringing back memories for some in multi-generational farm families. Analysts say this is the worst drought since 1956 and could be on par with the Dust Bowl era. In July 1934 nearly 80 percent of the U.S. was in moderate to extreme drought.
"I was born on this farm. Back in 1922," said Dean Urick. The 90 year-old remembers being a young farm kid on the Henry County property near Prophetstown which has now been in the family for five generations. He road his pony to school at 12 years old. That year, 1934, really sticks out in his mind.
"I remember vividly the extreme drought that hit in '34. I remember sometimes when they were speaking about the dust storms out from Oklahoma we could see some of the blackness up against the sun."
He shows off an old corn planter that he and his father used in the 30's. A two-row corn planter that was originally was horse drawn. In 1934 the earth was parched and crops withered. "Everybody was always looking for rain," said Ulrick. Come harvest time the yields took a big hit.
"My father cut the bundles that were in the field and we pitched them into the barn that was the crop for that year."
It was a hot and dry situation, much like what Urick's son Kevin is dealing with on the farm now. One of the nearby farmers plowed over a field of corn. "Typically it's not supposed to be brown this time of year, but it was brown and no ears and least will be used as cattle feed," said Kevin Urick.
His father says, while the conditions are similar, the situation was much different in the 30's. Then, crop insurance and disaster assistance didn't exist. Plus, after the Dust Bowl days agriculture adapted some. "At that time it kind of pushed the development of hybrid seed corn because they realized some of these hybrids were a little more tolerant to drought."
He says this drought, while devastating to many, will be one farmers across the Midwest will again learn from. You don't anticipate these things are going to happen so you have to kind of adjust as the time comes along," added Urick.
The latest crop report shows 7% of Illinois corn is now rated poor or very poor. Iowa corn is at 49%. For soybeans, 57% of Illinois' crop and 37% of Iowa's is now rated poor or very poor.
