By Abigail Gocek OMAHA, Neb.- Nebraska is entering its third year of an ongoing drought that has seriously impacted agriculture and increased the risk of fires. The effects the drought has had on agriculture in Nebraska has made farming difficult in this especially dry year.
Although 2024 is the third year of the drought, the lack of precipitation throughout the summer has only worsened the already dry conditions. This September was recorded as the driest in Nebraska since 1895, according to The National Integrated Drought Information System. With the lack of precipitation, the risk of fire sparking while farmers work their fields is another cause for concern.
“There has been a few fires that I know of that have damaged crop ground with crops still in it,” Gardner said.
As Of October 29th, eastern Nebraska saw both moderate and severe drought expand, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. As the dry trend continues within Nebraska, farmers may have to adapt to compensate for any lack of precipitation.
“I think farmers are going to have to put irrigation systems or something on their fields to be able to water their crops, their ground,” Craig Gardner, a manager at Heartland Co-Op said.
