Mid-Missouri farmers say they’re feeling the effects of the recent heat wave, because the temperature both makes it harder for farmers to work long hours and gives cattle less energy to bulk up.
Brandon Brubaker helps out on his family farm in Boone County that specializes in homegrown vegetables. He said the heat wave is hurting some of his crops and also making it hard for his family to work during the daytime.
“We water a lot of things by hand, so it can be very labor intensive and exhausting during long stretches of heat snaps like this,” Brubaker said.
As a result, Brubaker and his family have to make crop adjustments. They’re monitoring whether they have enough healthy starts or will have to plant a different crop.
The current heat wave can also be hard on cattle, of which Missouri is a large producer. University of Missouri professor Eric Bailey is a state beef extension specialist and said cattle tend to eat less when it stays hot for several days.
“The first thing they do is reduce their feed consumption," Bailey said. "That means they gain less weight and become less productive.”
The best way for farmers to alleviate the impact of heat on cattle is to make sure cattle have enough water and shade. And, especially if cows are producing milk, farmers should feed cattle in the afternoon or in the evening so heat produced from milk production doesn’t come during the hottest parts of the day.
