Severe Rainfall Damages Fall Crops

The recent deluge of rain has left some area farmers fighting to salvage fall crops.

Over at on Tatamy Road in Palmer Township, the bad weather from and Tropical Storm Lee has left many crops with fungus and mold. Owner Jeff Raub said the hardest hit plants were pumpkins and chrysanthemums. Also affected were soybeans and corn, although they don’t look as damaged, he added.

The standing water in the fields has had a large effect on fungal, mildew and mold growth. Raub said that in order to try and salvage the crops, they have been sprayed with a preventative anti-fungicide every day for the past 10 days.

Over at the nearby corn maze, pathways that were created for visitors for the upcoming harvest and Halloween season had to be reopened because of the heavy rains.

“Some fields are damaged because of the rain and wind,” said Raub.

Both Raub and Beth Klein of nearby on Klein Road in Forks Township say cornfields were damaged to a point where some are lying flat.

“One field of corn went flat with the hurricane,” said Klein. “We are going to have to use special care when we harvest the crop.”

Klein said her farm fared better than other nearby farms, but there has been some damage, especially to hay, corn and tomatoes, which she said was hit the hardest at her farm.

“It’s been a bit of an usual year,” she said. “It’s been a hard year all through the summer.”

The farm has been struggling to keep corn green as it has grown through the season. Klein said the unusually wet summer followed by the extreme heat a few weeks ago and the recent storms has had an overall effect on crops.

“There’s not much you can do,” she said. “Just try and keep up.”