Cows hurt by drought, too

YORK COUNTY, S.C. -- On the Tucker Adkins Farm in York County, you can see the effects of the drought on our entire food chain. Filling bucket after bucket of water for her cows is a three times a day ritual for dairy farmer Carolyn Adkins.

“We have close to 40 head of cattle,” said Adkins. She says you can't explain the drought to thirsty cows or why there's no grass or hay to graze. And the cost for her adds up at every turn. She says, “fuel to run the tractors, you’re cutting 20 acres of land and only getting a third yield out of it.”

Last year, she paid $20 tops for a bale of hay but now she says she pays $60 and up and that doesn’t include the cost of fuel if she has it delivered. When she looks ahead to next year, things just look worse.

“It's supposes to be planting season, but the ground is too dry to even get the seed in the ground,” Adkins said.

Agriculture experts call this one of the busiest years on record for farmers in upstate South Carolina having to sell off their cattle.

“I thought several times who would I save and who would I keep, and they're like family,” Adkins said.

Pregnant with child number six, she knows all too well how good nutrition is critical for her expectant cows and milk production.

“She looks a little thin to me,” she comments about one of her cows.

At the end of the day, Adkins feels forced to raise prices.

“I went from $4.50 to $5 for a gallon,” she said. “I look at our bills every month and think how we gonna make it. God makes a way for us to make it.”

Adkins says she’s lost several calves this year because poor nutrition made the cows give birth too early.

You can learn more about the drought and how it’s effecting our area by tuning into our WCNC drought special Thursday evening.