Tagged: drought

North Louisiana farmers and timber growers say they're beginning to recover from drought in 2010 and 2011. But The Times of Shreveport reports it will take time to rebuild cattle herds and that trees stressed by the drought could continue to die for another two years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 36 Louisiana parishes drought disaster areas in 2010. In 2011, seven parishes were named drought disaster areas along with 213 Texas counties.

Small businesses in 11 Louisiana parishes are now eligible for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Alfred E. Judd, director of the SBA's Disaster Field Operations Center-West, said in a news release Tuesday that the loans can offset economic losses caused by the drought that began June 19.

The eligible parishes are Morehouse, Richland, Union, West Carroll, Caldwell, Claiborne, East Carroll, Franklin, Lincoln, Madison and Ouachita. Three neighboring counties in Arkansas — Ashley, Chicot and Union — also are eligible.

This summer, I have emptied my garden's rain barrels twice to keep herbs, vegetables and flowers alive during our endless drought. I’ve also witnessed spirited debates between farmers, shoppers, and the occasional know-it-all about global warming.

While my uncle may be a meteorologist, I am simply a casual observer, and what I have noticed is this: Farmers return from their fields with stories of extreme and unfamiliar weather. These patterns affect our food.