A Lambton County farmer is urging area residents to "be kind to your food growers."
Grain Farmers of Ontario Board Representative for Lambton District 3 Emery Huszka, who farms in south Lambton County, said some area farmers are having a difficult spring.
"This year has been very challenging," Huszka told Sarnia News Today. "Fertilizer was our first major hurdle that we all had to contend with. First, the availability and making sure that we were going to have what we needed to actually grow the crop before we went down that road. Secondly, getting supplies, some of our supply chains have been disrupted."
Huszka said certain parts for certain equipment were unavailable or delayed in their arrival.
A wet field that remains unplanted in Lambton County. June 14, 2022 Photo by Emery Huszka
He said between that hurdle and the weather, a lot of farmers faced obstacles getting into the fields when they had the chance.
"We've had some incredible opportunities to pop crop in, but disrupted with heavy rains. It's very sporadic, not every farm in Lambton has been affected the same, some folks have had a very tough go and six inches of rain on a field that has newly planted beans is a very tough recipe to fix."
Huszka said in some cases, there may not be a chance to replant.
"For farms that have, for instance, put all of their fertilizer down for a corn crop, their options are very limited because the deadline is fast approaching for replanting that corn and if the conditions aren't right, you just simply can't get into that field. So, we're trying to grow food for people, but Mother Nature does dictate the terms of what we're able to do."
Another blow has been the cost of fuel, with diesel prices climbing to well over $2 a litre.
"Tractors are thirsty and to put that money out as a farmer, it's a big gamble," Huszka said. "We need to depend now, more heavily than ever, on a very fair price for our commodity just to break even and have a small net return."
Winter wheat about to be harvested in Lambton County. June 14, 2022 Photo by Emery Huszka
Despite the struggles of some, Huszka said other farmers have been blessed with good crops in Lambton County.
Huszka said winter wheat appears to be advanced this year and corn planted in sandy soil in south Lambton looks beautiful so far.
"Be kind to your farmer food growers," Huszka said when asked how people can help. "Some are having a very tough time. We never know what somebody else is going through and kind words, a smile and a thank you sometimes goes a long way."
