KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Farmers in Kansas and Missouri wished this week’s rain would have happened months ago.
“We are in a really, really severe drought in this area,” said Maggie St. John with Antioch Urban Farm.
While small, the North Kansas City Farmers Market has a steady flow of customers.
After Friday, it will be closed, two months ahead of schedule.
“We didn't really have a normal spring, maybe a week, then straight to summer, straight to 90-degree weather and plants don't like that so much,” said St. John. “There is not enough moisture in the ground, the soil is still parched.
Its not just small farmers markets that are being impacted. City Market has space for 150 farmers and they are feeling the impact as well.
“It has been a struggle, our stall numbers have been down this year. We are such a big market we still have vendors but our numbers are down and the vendors have really been struggling,” said Deb Connors, Farmers Market Manager. “The drought has been awful. The tomatoes, people are struggling with their tomatoes.”
While farmers wait for more rain, St. John still has to find a way to pay her bills.
“It makes it be like, 'Ok, we have to cut costs where we can.' It's like coming here, we spend all this time when I could do something else like fully working in landscaping, that is what I am doing, working side jobs to make ends meet,” said St. John.
