Rain at Last! | The Survival Gardener

We have been under drought conditions for the last three months, right through the hottest time of the year.

Yesterday, we finally got a little respite, with a slow, drizzling, 24-hour rain.

We got 1 1/4 inches, which helps – especially since it arrived slowly instead of in a big burst, followed by blazing sun. It’s still cloudy and cool out right now.

I’m not sure how our yams and cassava will produce this year, as much of their best growth takes place in August and September when the weather is usually very hot and wet. This year we just didn’t have the rainfall. The cow pastures are both eaten down to almost nothing as well, and we haven’t even mowed the lawn in more than two months.

If we don’t get more rain soon, our pond is also going to dry up. It went from about 4′ in depth to maybe 1′ in depth over the summer. It’s not looking good. We also haven’t been able to overplant the pasture with winter rye and cover crops for the cows over the winter.

We need about 12 more inches of rain to start to get back to normal. Even a couple more inches within a week or so would be a big help. The ground is like a rock right now.

Still, we have been blessed with good harvests from what we planted in the spring. The grass isn’t dead yet, either. And we do have some dry hay for the cows. And, everyone is healthy.

The rain would be really nice, but in the grand scheme of things, we’re doing more than fine. It is a good reminder that we need a well, though.

And that we must rely on God in all things. We’re very happy to get over an inch of rain.

We take for granted what we have until we don’t have it.

Gotta go – we’re loading up for SCRUBFEST II!

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