Clouds rain joy for farmer
Storms boost outlook but more falls needed
RAIN has finally fallen on Gatton’s parched land.
While the weekend’s storms and showers certainly haven’t broken the drought, they have brought a renewed sense of optimism to many.
Between March 16 and 18, 44.6mm was recorded at UQ Gatton.
There were plenty of heavier falls around the Lockyer Valley as well.
Lake Clarendon vegetable grower Nathan Gehrke was ecstatic after receiving 77mm across the weekend at Campsey Ash Farms.
Mr Gehrke said the rain had been fantastic and he was feeling positive moving into the winter season.
The dry weather had been so bad, Mr Gehrke said he had been forced to irrigate his fields in an attempt to break down the soil for planting.
“We were watering so much in that heat and the crops don’t respond and grow nicely just with irrigation water,” Mr Gehrke said.
“When you get that bit of rain, everything just jumps out of the ground.”
Mr Gehrke’s son, Levi, was also over the moon about the
❝The best thing is I can get muddy again and we can keep growing vegetables. — Levi Gehrke
rain.
“It’s fantastic. I haven’t seen it in a while,” he said.
“The best thing is I can get muddy again and we can keep growing vegetables.”
Not everyone was so lucky, with areas missing out on the heavier falls.
Lucerne and cattle farmer Trevor Neibling received just 36mm at his farm in Blenheim.
“It’s disappointing again,” Mr Neibling said.
“If we don’t get follow-up, it’ll burn off with the heat again.”
Mr Neibling said while rain was always good, at the weekend it had barely penetrated the soil.
He said the last time he remembered good rain was three years ago and without solid rain soon the situation for many farmers would be dire.
“We’re getting into a bad situation at the moment,” he said.
One factor Mr Neibling and Mr Gehrke could agree on was the drought wouldn’t break until enough rain fell to make the creeks run.
“You can have as much rain as you like but if we don’t get that rain to fill the Lockyer creek up, then it doesn’t do anything to our bore holes,” Mr Gehrke said.