Hot and dry conditions push Minnesota farmers to adjust tactics

With more hot days ahead, Minnesota farmers of all kinds are trying to navigate the heat and dry weather. 

"It's hard to keep everything going the way we want it," said Txongpao Lee. 

Txongpao Lee and his wife, Hlee Lee, farm about 13 acres near Farmington, Minnesota. They grow so many vegetables that they're able to sell produce at five different farmers markets. And while the couple's crops mostly look good, they said they could be better. 

"Our tomatoes, usually by this time of the year, it's about this tall. And this year, it's very short, and the flowers fall off because it's hard to pollinate, because it's too dry," said Hlee Lee. 

The cabbage and cucumbers are also showing stress. Dry weather and working in the heat means they're irrigating more.

"And I walk each line to make sure the line is laying on top of the tomatoes," said Hlee. "Electricity is big. It does go up about $100 per month. We use a lot of water to water our plants."

Despite the dry conditions at Lee Family Farm, the further southwest you go, the worse it gets.

"Luverne, they are about 7 1/2 inches below long-term averages," said Liz Stahl, University of Minnesota Extension.

Stahl focuses on southwestern Minnesota. She said parts of Rock, Lincoln and Pipestone counties are seeing severe and even extreme drought due to a lack of rain. That, coupled with 90-degree days, puts a lot of stress on livestock production and impacts crop pollination during a crucial time of year. 

"Ultimately, it can impact at the end of the season. Ultimately, it can impact yields. Hopefully, again, we will get some timely rains and that'll keep things moving along," said Stahl. 

She said a lack of snowfall this past winter and little rain this spring has led to a more than 7-inch precipitation deficit in Rock County.