Persistent dry conditions challenge Fox Valley farmer

While much of the province has had a lot of rain over the past month, at least one farmer in the southwest corner of the province has been dealing with the opposite situation.

The soil is bone dry for Andy Volk, a grain farmer in Fox Valley, located roughly four hours’ drive west of Regina.

“It is dry, we can’t grow crops. Chemicals don’t work as well when it’s dry, and the weeds seem to like dry weather,” he said.

Volk said the dry dome stretches from Fox Valley to Richmond.

“Then it gets a little bit wetter after that, but it’s still not very  good.”

Volk said he knows it’s a different battle than what the rest of the province is currently facing.

“We keep going on the (Great) Saskatchewan Rain Gauge and everybody is complaining about flooding… I would switch with them right now, because that is a pretty nice problem to have,” said Volk.

However, he is staying hopeful the rain will come in July.

“Cooler weather and some rain, three to four inches of rain in the next month, we would be okay. That would have to come pretty quick,” said Volk. “It’s been cool conditions this year, but that’s the only thing that saved the crop so far.”

Despite the uncertainty, Volk said he is remaining optimistic.

“We’re not going to give up. I’m just hopeful for the young guys like my son. There are quite a few young guys in our area that want to farm, and they’re having a tough time with it.”

Volk said the drought conditions have been a struggle for the past eight years.

“It’s been dry,” he said. “Last year we harvested all our acres, and we got seven bushels an acre.”

Andy Volk was speaking on the Greg Morgan Morning Show, on Thursday, July 4.