The only things growing fast in the drought of 2012 are the tentacles of its damage.
Wrath of the dry spell spreads far beyond crunchy lawns and withered gardens. Farmers see bleak prospects for their corn, soybean and wheat harvests. Federal agriculture officials touring Indiana farms last week concluded that 71 percent of the state’s corn crop is in poor to very poor condition from lack of rain and heat stress. The drought, the nation’s worst in 56 years, sent American corn and soybean prices to all-time highs this month, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Tom Vilsack, the U.S. agriculture secretary, predicted the increased food prices would continue through 2013.
Because the U.S. produces nearly half of the world’s corn and large amounts of the globe’s wheat and soybeans, the drought could trigger international food shortages, according to a United Press International report. The last world food crisis hit in 2007 and 2008 during the global recession. In that period, U.S. food banks had to cut back on distribution, and food donations dropped 9 percent, according to Feeding America.
As the Wabash Valley deals with the effects of the hot, dry summer, we all should remember the neediest among us. Many folks will face tighter budgets as high air-conditioner use increases electricity bills and trips to the supermarket become costlier. Others don’t have the luxury of even experiencing those frustrations. Some people in the latter situation need assistance to keep food on their family’s table.
That’s where food banks, such as Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, step in. The agency stocks 87 food pantries in seven west-central Indiana counties — Clay, Greene, Knox, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo. During the past three months, the Catholic Charities Foodbank here has provided an average of 171,500 meals per month. Pantries are designed to fill gaps in a family’s resources, getting some through the week when food stamps are running low, Tom Kuhl, director of the Catholic Charities Foodbank, said.
One source of supplies for Catholic Charities is the generosity of Wabash Valley farmers, who contribute fresh produce. In the heart of the drought, those farmers are still coming through, said Kuhl, but the harsh weather has curtailed their available crops. The growers simply have less in their fields.
“What we’re getting is a half or maybe a third of what we would normally be getting at this time,” Kuhl said. “[The farmers] understand the need is still there, but as far as the quantity they’d like to donate, their yields are down.”
For those with ample means, there are ways to help.
Non-perishable food items can be dropped off at the food bank at 1356 Locust St. in Terre Haute. Cash donations also can be accepted at that same location, or contributions can be made online at catholiccharitiesterrehaute.org. Through its network with suppliers, Catholic Charities can stretch one donated dollar into five pounds of food, Kuhl emphasized.
With no significant rain forecast for the next couple weeks, the drought could intensify. It’s already stunningly bad. “It really is a crisis. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this in my lifetime,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who is 63 years old, told the New York Times.
Let’s not allow the epic nature of this predicament to blind us from its impact on children of poverty, the poor, the elderly and the disabled.
Opinion
EDITORIAL: Drought’s effects will hit more than just the fields
Be aware of impact on those less fortunate
- Opinion
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MARK BENNETT: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river Cities aren’t like faces.
People long to stroll into their high school reunion and hear old classmates gush, “You haven’t changed a bit.”
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EDITORIAL: Waging the ‘readiness’ campaign
Almost every Hoosier who starts college intends to finish. Unfortunately, those who arrive on campus unprepared in key academic areas are far less likely to fulfill that aspiration.
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Readers’ forum: May 19, 2013
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RONN MOTT: Mushrooms = Hoosier happiness
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READERS' FORUM: May 17, 2013
Hinduism doesn’t deserve ridicule — Shefali Purohit, Terre Haute
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RONN MOTT: Israel’s Air Force
Recently the Israeli Air Force bombed and rocketed a convoy leaving Syria going to Lebanon with rockets that were going to be used to attack Israel. It did not get there. It was destroyed.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: Dashing finish for the Sycamores
It’s always thrilling to see Indiana State University’s athletic teams do well in high-level competition, and two specific teams rose to impressive heights last weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships.
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Readers' Forum: May 16, 2013
Moving Deming folks sounds ‘nuts’
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Readers' Forum: May 15, 2013
Participants rise to the challenge: I would like to write a letter congratulating all the Wabash Valley Roadrunners that competed in the One America Indianapolis Mini Marathon.
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RONN MOTT: Media merry-go-round
Round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. That isn’t a unique phrase to this writer or to this era in time. But, when it comes to the musical chairs of broadcasting, it certainly applies.
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LIZ CIANCONE: Courts see a different appearance than cops
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READERS' FORUM: May 13, 2013
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Being a nurse … Like most nurses, I chose this profession because I had a strong desire to help others and no other career would allow me the opportunity to touch lives the way I have been able to through nursing.
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READERS' FORUM: May 12, 2013
Vigo Youth Football, entering 45th year, seeks new support
Media ignoring important case on abortions
Proud to be old-fashioned
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Promoting hate not a ‘brave’ act
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FLASHPOINT: Again in 2013 General Assembly, middle class generally ignored
Last year, the people of Indiana entrusted the Republican Party with some of their most precious possessions.
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RONN MOTT: ‘Raccoons II’
In the Algonquin Indian language, raccoon means “working with hands.” They are really cute little fellows until they injure a child, or a pet, or leave feces around where you certainly do not want it.
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Readers’ Forum: May 11, 2013
I just wanted to express my disappointment at the lack of response shown by President Obama after the Boston Marathon bombings.
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Readers' Forum: May 10, 2013
CANDLES event plants new seed: On April 26, CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center hosted an event called “Sowing Seeds of Peace: A Celebration of Spring” at the Apple House. Our purpose was to introduce people to our concept of forgiveness as a seed for peace.
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RONN MOTT: ‘NRA Convention’
At the recent NRA Convention in Houston, Texas, where the right-wing political hot air almost lifted the convention's building off its foundation, the NRA trotted out the forever yours political dame of the right wing, Sarah Palin. Sarah did not disappoint.
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EDITORIAL: Memo to U.S.A.: You can ‘SPPRAK’ just as we do in Vigo County
Our kids, truly, are ‘Making a Difference’
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Some words in praise of boring government — Indiana’s
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EDITORIAL: Doc’s prescient prescription
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RONN MOTT: ‘Heritage gone’
The last high school I attended was being torn down just a few days ago. I didn't learn about it until I saw classmate Dick Mills on television and a display he had put together about State football championships in the middle 1930's. I began elementary school with Dick Mills. That was Matthew South Elementary School on South Sixth Street in Clinton, Indiana. After seeing Dick on TV, it dawned on me that all schools I had attended in Clinton have been torn down.
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LIZ CIANCONE: We always want more than we need
Washington seems more preoccupied with the unemployment rate than they are about the constant stalemate. Still with thousands out of work and the unemployment rate hovering somewhere between 7 percent and 9 percent, it does deserve more than a passing nod.
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FLASHPOINT: Indiana lawmakers reinforced school safety mechanisms
Nothing is more important to me than the safety of my children. Every parent has felt that instant, apprehensive rush when their child plays too close to the street or falls down while playing soccer and it is our responsibility as parents to implement every safety mechanism we can muster to protect our kids.
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