Farmers Concerned About Drought

Georgia is now suffering through what has officially been termed a mild drought, but to some there is nothing mild about it.

Some dairy farmers in middle Georgia are wondering if it's time to find another line of work.

Awbrey Moon has only known dairy faming. More than 40 years after buying a dairy farm from his father, it is not getting easier to walk through drought-ravaged fields. It would be one thing if it was his only challenge, but it isn't.

"It's cutting in pretty deep," Moon said. "I don't know how long we gone stay here at this if things don't change -- if we don't get a better price for milk and get some breaks on the weather."

Those breaks have been far too rare over the past two years. In that time, dairy farmers in middle Georgia have suffered through at least three long dry spells.

It is dry, that the pond these cows normally use to cool off is now nothing more than a pit of mud. As a result, farmers are mired in weather that has made it difficult to grow the hay needed to feed their cows.

Aubrey Moon ran out two months ago. Ever since, he's been forced to buy hay from other states. Combine that expense with the higher cost of diesel fuel to run his machinery -- it has Aubrey ready to bail out of the dairy business.

With Georgia dairy farmers spending more to do business, there's a good chance their product could eventually cost you more.

"There will be an increase in milk as well as beef and poultry prices," Moon said. "I think those will go up. I don't know how significantly, but those will be edging up."

The next few months are critical. Moon's farm needs a drink, or he may be forced to toast the end to four decades of farming.

Farmers in middle Georgia say the little bit of rain they've gotten over the past few weeks seems to evaporate before it does any good.