BARK RIVER -- Herouix's Farm in Bark River is primarily a dairy farm, but they also grow alfalfa, barley, and corn. And surprisingly, these recent temperatures are actually good for the crops. That's because the heat has been combined with moisture from the recent rain showers.
But what if Mother Nature’s heat doesn't let up?
“If this continues on for a much longer period of time,” explains Warren Schauer of MSU Extension, “then in two or three weeks, if we don't have any rain and we still have this high heat, I think we're going to have impacts on a lot of our crops."
And if crop supplies decrease, the local economy could also be hurt.
“That impacts our support industries because all those dollars that agriculture produces, almost all of that's spent in the U.P.," Schauer said.
There are 200 acres of barley on Herouix’s Farm. It’s stored and ground at a Bark River feed mill where it'll be used as cattle feed. But one thing the high temperatures have affected is milk production. In fact, it's dropped about ten percent.
Still, owner Wayne Herouix said he's hoping it's just a short-term drop for the cows.
“They don't want to eat as much,” explains Herouix. “They don't cope with the heat as well. They suffer as much as we do."
But he's staying hopeful that the weather will cool down soon because the heat has also taken a toll on him and his workers.
“We fare much better in the cold. It’s hard to keep going. It slows you down working in the heat," Herouix said.
But he won't be able to rest for too long. That's because next month, it'll already be time to harvest the barley.
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