TEMPLE, Texas — Despite the recent rainfall, Central Texas has been hit with an ongoing drought, a weather event that has never been friendly to farmers.
Charles Mikeska is the owner of The Farmery, a local farm that grows fruits and vegetables in Central Texas and East Bell County.
The farm delivers its produce to the Temple and Killeen areas as well as through their own retail store.
"We know what we're eating and where it comes from. My family has historically always had a garden. All my relatives all still have gardens," Mikeska said. "It's just something a lot of folks out here in the country still do."
With six acres of produce, his farm has been challenged by the recent drought. No rain means no growth, and Mikeska had to replant his crops three times.
"Every seed we planted this year we had to water to get it to come up. There was never a 'we planted and it rained' scenario," Mikeska said. "It's been a real challenge. For example, if we planted and it didn't rain on it and it happened to sprout then we had to start all over. And we had to do that three times this fall."
Earlier this summer, the US Department of Agriculture instituted a new policy to encourage farmers to begin growing two crops on one piece of land. This is something Mikeska not only did this year, but took it one step further.
"We double and even triple cropped this year. It just allows a better use of space. It takes less acres and I think it's just a better use of land," Mikeska explained.
It's land that has been dry for far too long, but today was different. "Rains we get today, when it's slow," Mikeska said. "That is perfect."
It's the type of weather this farmer continues to hope for.
"Gosh, I hope it rains like they said it would. Because if it doesn't, I'll be replanting a fourth time," Mikeska said.
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