MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Wednesday marked a rainy start to summer in East Tennessee. After several days of dry heat, farmers across the area eagerly welcomed gray clouds.
"The summertime is a time of long hours. You get up when the sun rises, you stay outside often to the sun setting," said Steve Rutherford, of Rutherfords' Farm in Maryville. "Yeah, there's a lot of concern here because we had to pump a lot of water, trying to keep everything healthy."
At the farm, Rutherford grows green beans and tomatoes during the summer. However, higher temperatures can put the crops at risk. Dry drought conditions can also risk the crops.
Parts of East Tennessee ranged from abnormally dry conditions to moderate drought conditions as of June 15, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map. It also expects this to be a warmer summer, with temperatures reaching up to 40% higher than normal.
Higher temperatures and dryer conditions mean farmers need to work around mother nature to make sure their crops grow. They use water tubes to apply water to the soil, and white plastic to reflect heat away from the ground.
"If you have an irrigated crop, it seems like you will be able to manage that risk of lack of water," said one agriculture expert.
This week, some parts of East Tennessee received up to five inches of rain. The water brought relief to farmers, who had been battling mother nature to keep their crops alive.
Experts said dryer conditions in Tennessee may not bring much of an impact on grocery prices. They said 80% of farmers in Tennessee are considered "small growers," which means they have less than $250,000 in sales per year, according to the USDA. Most of their products end up at farmers markets, and experts said prices there have not changed much due to the weather.