LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — If you ask farmers in central Pennsylvania how growing conditions are, they will tell you things could be much better.
According to the Stormtracker 16 Team, this has been the driest May ever recorded in the Williamsport area, with less than a half inch of rain for the month.
"I think it is a little unnerving to know that we haven't received any rain for at least three weeks plus, and we definitely want a nice mix of rain and humidity, cooler and warmer weather, said Robyn Schreiber.
Newswatch 16 stopped by the Green Barn Berry Farm near Muncy. Owner Robyn Schreiber took us on a tour to check out the conditions.
"The ground right now is solid, it is almost like concrete when you walk on it. You're feeling your plants are crisp when you bend down to touch them. It is powdery and dusty," she said.
When the ground is dry like this, it is tough to plant anything. This comes just a week before the farm planned to plant pumpkin seeds for the fall.
"They do take a lot of water to get them up and going, so only time will tell. We will keep our fingers crossed," Schreiber added.
The farm is currently open for strawberry picking. Folks came out early for opening day. Without rain, some strawberry plants are doing better than others. Even so, Schreiber is staying optimistic.
"I would say we are down a big amount of space in our field that is not going to produce this year because of the lack of rain, but the berries that we do have are great, and when it is dry, they tend to be super sweet," said Schreiber.
Schreiber also told Newswatch 16 that because of a mild winter, many of her berry plants are on track to sprout earlier than usual this year.
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