Many farmers in southeastern New Jersey are struggling due to extreme drought conditions. One of these farmers is Stephen V. Lee, IV, a sixth-generation cranberry grower from Chatsworth, New Jersey. The region is currently experiencing the state’s worst severe drought in over two decades.
Lee spoke with FOX Weather on Wednesday from a reservoir that has been virtually empty for the past month and a half. Parts of New Jersey recently broke a record dry spell of 40 days. Lee claims they only got around two-tenths of an inch of rain on Sunday.
The drought timing is concerning because cranberries are a Thanksgiving staple. Despite the catastrophic circumstances, Lee remains unfazed. “The moral of the story is that we continue to move forward and continue to farm and do what we do best,” according to him.
Cranberries, like all crops, require water to grow. However, the demand for water, and plenty of it, extends to how it is harvested.
Cranberry bogs are filled with water, allowing the little red fruits to float to the surface. Farmers then skim the surface to gather the fruit. Will the cranberry harvest be viable if there is little to no water available due to the drought?
Lee’s status is unpredictable, especially in terms of next year’s crop. However, he remains optimistic.
“It’s going to rain at some point,” he told me. “All we can do is pray for rain, which is exactly what we’re doing, but it won’t affect how we do things. Cranberries did not stop growing during COVID-19, and they will not stop growing during the drought.
Aside from cranberries, Lee is concerned about the threats that drought and low rainfall pose to New Jersey citizens.
“I’ve never seen it this low before,” Lee explained. “What’s terrible is that if you go through the forests, the Jersey Pinelands, and sections of New Jersey and New York, you’ll end up in the woods, which are exceedingly dry. “It’s alarmingly dry.
As the dry conditions create a climate susceptible to wildfires, Lee, a member of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, hopes that citizens will take precautions.