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Published: July 12th 2011
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"Dry Land"
This land is the typical dry land which doesn't get water. It's grazing land but I haven't seen any stock. Here are the photos that I took. Not sure they show the real picture. To give you some idea of the scale of the landscape, add 3 photos on either side and it looks the same.
Today (12th July) I started work with a 20mm bolt screw embedded in one of my 8 truck tyres. So off to Heisers Tyre Service I go with a REAL coffee so that the guys to fix it.
Once it's fixed it's into the wilderness to catch up with my colleagues who are hauling chopped immature corn crops that stand between 3 ft and 5 ft high.
There is a drought here that is evolving into a disaster of epic proportions and is now the worst that the area has experienced in over 100 years. Everywhere I look I can see the cracks in this community from shops de-stocking, to closures and the obvious signs of parched dry lands and very few grazing animals in the countryside. This is an enormously serious problem , it's complex and has the markings of an epic catastrophy (spelling?).
The corn here usually grows a foot a week over a 12 week period and
Irrigated Land
This is corn crops in growth to about 12 feet. This stuff grows a foot a week and is irrigated continually. is then harvested as silage for stock feed at the dairies which supply one of the worlds largest cheese factories supplying some of the largest food organisations in the USA. Interestingly this corn crop only produces 1 cob per plant. Not sure why except it may have something to do with how fast it grows. Not sure.
I will photograph tomorrow the corn crops on one side of the road where the water from wells (700 gal/min or 3150 li/min) has touched the ground and then I will photograph the land on the other side of the road where the water hasn't touched the ground.
The land is so unstable and sandy that when we enter the crop circle with our 18 wheelers which weigh 16 tonnes empty and 36 tonnes loaded, we have very specific instructions NOT to drive on the dry land unless it is absolutly necessary because once we have driven over it and the wind comes along that's the last you see of the top soli until your neighbour's topsoil blows in if you get my drift. So if you multiply the damage that one truck can do by 12 trucks driving across one spot 20 times you can imagine the damage caused. This truck traffic can trash a driveway or a road or and entrance to a crop circles in less that 10 truck passes.
I have been speaking to some locals who are involved in the industry recently and there are farmers having to make the decision to shut off the water to some of their crops ( these are 330 ha circles we are speaking about) and focus all their attention on just a few crop circles. Some farmers are foreclosing and walking away but at this stage they are few and far between. Emergency loans are available from the government and the price of stock feed is going up.
You see we can spread all the cow manure we can but if it is not watered it blows away so then there is no fetiliser to grow the crop or it needs to be sprayed by special tractorswith 100 ft (35m booms or by plane (expensive) and if the crop doesn't grow then there isn't any feed for the animals and so it goes on. EVERYTHING depends on the water.
Now all of the water comes from an enormous aquifer which is feed from the north but if they keep sucking the water out at the rate that is currently happenning it won't last because there is no rain to replenish it. Obviously I'm simplifying the situation but I trust that you can see the complexity and the depth of the situation.
Strange thing is that wildlife is dying in Florida because the everglades are drying up because there is no rain and yet just North of here and to the East, too much rain has caused major devastation. The Mississippi is apparently flowing at no less that 12 ft above normal. Now that is one BIG river so 12 ft above normal is exceptional and a lot of water too.
I could go on with other examples but I would be repeating myself so, as Forrest Gump would say "That's all I have say on that."
If any one tells you that this is just a climatic cycle and things will change as they always do, ten I would turn and walk away because it's pointless talking to a fool.
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Meg
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EVERYTHING depends on water
I totally agree dad! This is something that we don't think about enough! Our food system is broken and needs to change in some way in order to protect what environment we have left and feed our families in the future. Here in Victoria, Australia the 12 year drought as gone, and has been replaced by 2 years of record breaking rain. Widespread flooding touched down on the salty, dry earth and wiped out many many rural communities. Its called a wicked problem for a reason. So complex, so many factors and stakeholders. Environment, species, biodiversity, rivers, lakes, streams, fish, birds, economies, businesses, farms, traditions, families, communities and one finite, limited, stressed, unpredictable and precious precious water source. I would love to see your photos in the next blog! Much love. Meg