The Rain-Soaked Fields of the Palouse
Heavy, unrelenting rains delay the spring wheat planting in Eastern Washington, causing concern for farmers.
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Lake D. Wolfard returned from the Palouse wheat country, stating that not more than one-third of the spring wheat is in the ground. All of the spring wheat will not be in, he says, before the first of June, but the yield of winter wheat promises to be something astounding. The soil is literally soaked with water, especially near the mountains. The unusual rainfall prevented farmers from sowing, as the rain has not let up long enough at any one time to allow the ground to dry out sufficiently.
“The soil is literally soaked with water, especially near the mountains.”
The Palouse remains one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, but the 1893 climate struggle highlights a perennial challenge for Washington farmers: managing the volatile intersection of soil moisture and planting schedules in an era of changing weather patterns.
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