July 27, 2021
Drought taking its toll
By Ashleigh Plemper
Farmer Staff Writer
The battle for local farmers and ranchers and the ongoing drought has begun a real reckoning. With looming water shortages, a lack of subsoil moisture and rain, area producers are grasping at straws.
And with higher demand and the lack of hay, it has left many ranchers digging in their boots at the prices they’re unwilling to pay for hay. And tough decisions are continuing to be made.
“Not only is it the cost of hay, it’s also how much it’s going to cost to transport it,” says Travis Gudmunsen, a local rancher and farmer who operates 15 miles southeast of Watford City.