Local farmers assess recent flood damage

Herald-Tribune

Bourbon County, Kan. -- Severe flooding that struck various parts of Kansas the last couple of months not only closed roads, highways and some businesses, it also affected a major component of the state and local economy; the farming industry.

Bourbon County farmer Joe Ludlum, who owns about 2,500 acres of pasture and cropland in the southwest portion of the county, said his land did not sustain much damage from the high water, but constant rainfall over a week-long period caused extensive damage to his wheat crop. Flooding also slowed the planting of many of his other crops, including corn and soybeans, but Ludlum said the biggest loss he incurred was to his wheat crop, which had already been damaged from freezing cold winter temperatures that occurred in the region in early April.

Ludlum said he also owns and manages livestock and about 400 acres of crops.

Another local farmer, Darrell George, said he owns about 400 acres of corn and 400 acres of soybeans on a farm just north of Uniontown, as well as some land just south of the town. George said he owns part of the land himself, while he rents the remainder from his brother, with whom he also farms.

George said many of his crops were under water after the floods, including about 45 acres of clover, and that he hasn't yet assessed the damage.

"The water ran over it, and it (clover) was matted down and dried up," George said. "I don't know the extent of the damage on it, because I haven't been out there to inspect it."

While some rain each year make farmers happy and is healthy for crops, some of those farmers may be asking themselves how much rain is too much.

"When the river gets up, that's when it's too much," George said. "If you've farmed long enough, you know you may not get any, or you may get a bucketful. You just hope the river doesn't flood."

Ludlum, who also owns some crops in Hiattville, said while his croplands did not suffer major damage, he and other farmers in the region still felt the effects of the devastation the floods created in the area.

Ludlum said his crops survived the onslaught of rain without a major negative effect on his income from farming.

"It's really frustrating," he said. "Some farmers have some level of crop insurance and are able to replant next spring. Other farmers suffered pretty severe losses. We were pretty fortunate. About 30 to 40 miles west of us, I think they got around 20 inches of rainfall. They have nothing to harvest the whole year."

George said he is considering placing some of his corn into one of his silos that was under water during the flood.

Ludlum said the excessive rainfall caused a "fairly minor" reduction in his crop yields, but did flatten his entire corn crop and altered the planting schedule for his soybean crop.

"The water got up three feet or so on crops," he said. "The constant rainfall prevented a double (soybean) crop from being planted."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Bourbon County Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency have, within the last few weeks, announced state and federal insurance disaster assistance that is available to help Kansas farmers and resident with any losses they sustained from the floods.

Ludlum said that he did not need to apply for financial assistance since his crops only sustained minimal damage from the flooding, but that 2007 has not been a typical year financially for the average farmer due to cold weather in the spring and recent flooding and drought conditions in the region.

"My wheat generated about $60 an acre, so I still get revenue from that. I get about $200 per acre in a good year."