Beardsley Community Farm is feeling the impact of Tennessee’s worst drought in years, according to reports from Knoxville (WVLT).
According to Lia Bevins, the farm manager, the crispiness of things seems to increase every passing week.
Their productivity is currently being hindered by approximately 95% due to the excessive heat.
Bevins expressed that they were able to harvest approximately 1,000 pounds of tomatoes per week last year, but this week they have only been able to produce less than 50 pounds.
Due to the ongoing drought, the farm has been unable to provide produce to the local food pantries as they normally would.
According to her, the produce distribution to various communities has been affected, resulting in lower numbers than usual. As a consequence, the pantries relying on this produce are facing difficulties in meeting their requirements.
According to the owner of St. John Lawn Care, the decrease in revenue due to the current situation is not limited to the food industry alone. In fact, he shared that a significant 60% of his earnings come from mowing, which has also been affected by the current situation, causing his income to dwindle.
Business has taken a hit due to the lack of growth in the grass.
He exclaimed, “Usually, we have to cut it every week, but this time when you arrived, the grass was the same height as it was on the previous Friday.”
However, the company has devised strategies to address this problem.
According to St. John, they have had to modify the services they provide. He explains that they are now focusing on tasks such as removing bushes, trimming them, pulling out weeds, and spreading mulch. As per him, this is the perfect season for carrying out these activities.
