Midlands farmers faced with corn loss in heat

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COPE, S.C. (WOLO) — Midlands’ farmers are holding their breath for any rain to help out their peanut and cotton crops, after the heat and drought takes a destructive toll on their corn crops. Cope farmer Dan Garrick is a fifth generation farmer. His father is 83 years old. “He has never seen it this hot and dry in his lifetime,” Garrick says. Garrick says they’ve scrapped most of the 100 acres of corn crop that are not watered, but there are more than 500 acres of crop that are watered. “if we didn’t have any irrigation, we probably wouldn’t have any corn.” Corn on the outskirts of the irrigation system is not pollinating correctly. The effects from the heat and lack of rainwater are too strong. Garrick knows he’s in a risky field. “It’s a gamble.” Though, he’s willing to make a bet, and crossing his fingers for the rain to fall on his cotton and peanut crops. “If we don’t get the rain, it’s not gonna be good,” he says. Farmers lessen their risk of loss by diversifying, and growing a variety of crops on their land. Besides cotton, peanut and corn crops, Garrick raises a couple hundred-thousand chickens.