Rebuilding Burke County's agriculture industry will take time

Among the hard hit are nurseries, which alone are estimated to have lost between $30 million and $40 million. Many nurseries are still cleaning their trees of debris and silt sediment deposits. Late October is nearing the time of year when nursery owners prune their trees, and more damage may become evident then. Right now, many are still pumping out water, silt, and sand, Rodriguez said.

A few local flower farmers and beekeepers have also reported losses. One keeper told the agent that he lost 14 apiaries, which is a place where beehives are kept. Nectar is scarce right now, forcing beekeepers to supplement their bees’ food with sugar so the insect can continue honey production.

Rodriguez said that one farmer had lost his entire crop of cantaloupe, which he was preparing for the fall market.

The hurricane also brought in the county’s first case of Joro spiders, which is a mildly invasive East Asia native spider. Thankfully, they hold little to no harmful impact on native species.

Many will be back to square one as they rebuild their greenhouses, garden beds, and crops.

“From all this excess flooding, we could see some root rot and other things occur from this,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going into fall, too, so we might not even see those symptoms until next spring, as we have things go into their dormancy period. They might think defoliation is normal at this time of year anyway, and they might not realize that there’s damage until next spring.”

CROPS, TREES, LIVESTOCK

The hurricane hit forestry hard with many acres leveled by its force.

Falling trees killed some livestock and a local poultry farm was decimated by flooding. Barns and equipment sheds were also destroyed. Crops and hay fields that survived the storm were damaged by deposits of toxic silt. Hay bales either floated away or were soaked in flooded barns.

“Once that hay got wet, they had to pull those out and try to dry them out and hopefully not catch fire from spontaneous combustion,” Pollard said. When hay reaches a certain temperature, it triggers a chemical reaction that sparks flammable gases.

The infrastructure and the viability of crops continue to be assessed, but one thing is for certain: There will be a lot of work to replant and grow what has been lost.

Farmers may choose to replant, but many will cut down what they can to salvage for firewood. The soil’s long-term fertility is affected and may require mixing with other soil to improve its viability. But that’s not most farmers’ first priority.

“They’re mainly just concerned about patching fences and getting their infrastructure back in,” Pollard said.

Pollard confirmed livestock will recover, but damaged pastures and lawns will likely need to be reseeded.

“The other thing I could say is profitability. … Those folks who had corn ready to harvest and beans ready to go. If you lose that, it’s impacting long-term, because you are not getting that money. Some folks are going to be hurting,” Pollard said. “Most of our farmers are mostly part-time.”

On the consumer side, feed prices for farmers may go up. Although not a significant increase, locals could also see higher prices for eggs, poultry, beef, and other goods.

POSITIVE NOTE

Despite the hurricane’s long-term impacts, there’s a bright side.

Extension specialists are securing funding for floodwater testing, produce safety, and further research, while government agencies and organizations are handling damage reports and aid for local farmers.

The N.C. Disaster Information Center’s page on the extension’s website offers helpful articles and surveys on topics ranging from farmer and rural mental health resources to crop insurance guidance. You can visit https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/ for more information or call 828-764-9480.

“It’s (Hurricane Helene) been a great example of people helping their neighbors. It’s been that way at a district level, a multi-county level, and also in our county. It’s just been pleasing to see that folks still care. … We haven’t had a lot of people left out there with no help,” Pollard concluded.