Drought Taking A Large Toll On Oklahoma Farmers, Ranchers

The drought is having a horrible affect on farmers and ranchers throughout the state.

It is even worse with the upper prices of every part else like gasoline and feed. Farmers mentioned hay and feed prices are almost double what they’ve been, and drought throughout their busiest season of the yr is making issues so much worse.

When Jake Miller isn’t tending to his farm in Cleveland. He’s on the street, making stops everywhere in the state.

“We’ve actually grown during the last three years, it is double the dimensions of after we began,” mentioned Miller. 

Outwest Farms began proper earlier than COVID. Miller mentioned the farm has grown so much, delivering native beef, pork, lamb, and rooster on to folks in Tulsa and OKC.

Now he mentioned they even ship nationwide.

“All the things goes up, gasoline and inflationary prices,” he mentioned.

Miller mentioned the prices of issues like feed and hay are virtually double.

“The value of hay final yr was $35 a bale, this yr it is double or much more than that,” mentioned Miller. 

He mentioned this drought is without doubt one of the worst he can keep in mind and if it goes on any longer it will likely be detrimental to his farm and lots of different farmers and ranchers going right into a busy vacation season.

“We do every part grass-fed. Our animals are on pastures, so we’d like that regrowth to feed our animals,” mentioned Miller. 

However Miller mentioned he retains going as a result of his clients admire supporting a neighborhood farm.

“The one factor that retains us going, why we proceed to do Outwest Farms, is the shoppers need to purchase native need to assist a neighborhood farm,” mentioned Miller. 

$23 million in emergency drought reduction funding is about to assist Oklahoma farmers and ranchers as issues proceed getting worse.