Published August 23, 2007
CROSSVILLE — Extreme drought conditions in northeast Alabama brought Sen. Jeff Sessions to Waymon Buttram’s farm in DeKalb County on Wednesday.
In the first of two stops designed to provide the senator with a first-hand look at the extent of the problem, Sessions said, “We had held out hope we would receive some rain in July and things would pick up a little, but this heat and drought is continuing.
“So we are facing one of the worst crises we have had in agriculture in many years. Actually, this is the third straight year of our drought, placing us well below our normal rainfall accompanied by high temperatures this summer – it is a crisis.”
Sessions, R-Mobile, said he thinks it may be possible to obtain emergency federal funding as a result of the drought.
“For several months I have been in contact with the [U.S.] Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, who told me he understands the problem and that Alabama represents ‘the worst area of the worst for the country.’
“I will be communicating with him when I return to Washington and following up to make certain we provide every legitimate assistance that is available for the farmers.”
Sessions said he wanted to visit farms in DeKalb and Cherokee counties to view the effects on soybeans and cattle.
“Many times you can get three hay cuttings a year,” Sessions said. “This year, most places have been lucky to get one. In addition to that, people are having to reduce their herds because they don’t have the feed to carry them through the winter.”
And, he said, “as you travel around the Tennessee Valley, you can see the corn crops are a total loss everywhere you go … the extreme drought is going to hurt the cotton too.”
Sessions said it is difficult to set a timeline for when financial relief might be coming.
“Many will qualify for crop insurance,” he said, “but it seems it is always hard to get them [farmers] to make the call that their crop is a total loss. That ends up dragging things out causing the crop insurance to come in late.
“We want to make certain the disaster money I think will be available in some degree for various situations are not delayed any more than necessary. We need to move those forward for people in a timely fashion.”
Emergency or disaster relief, according to Sessions, is about “preventing people from giving up their cattle herds or farming altogether in these crisis situations, that don’t occur very often, but place people in serious jeopardy of deciding not to stay in agriculture.”
A somber Sessions added, “That would not be good for Alabama or our country.”
Buttram said he hoped Sessions’ interest would lead him to get help for farmers.
Buttram, who has been in business since 1956, said his greatest fear “is if they don’t get some help … especially for these folks that have all these brood cows, all our cattle operations are going to leave this area, and that is a big part of our income.”
Buttram said his hay supply is in “fair shape” but predicted problems if things don’t change.
“This is the worst drought I have ever seen,” he said. “I can ride it out — it will cost me a lot of money.”
But, he added with a touch of pragmatism, “It’s whether I choose to ride it out.”
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No-burn order continues locally: Marshall, DeKalb and Etowah counties are under a no-burn order until further notice.
The order was declared last week and remains in effect until lifted by the state forester.
It is now illegal to set fire to forest, grass, woods, wildlands or marshes, or to build a campfire or bonfire, or to burn trash.
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