Rains associated with Tropical Storm Barry have brought welcome relief to growers in the Florida area, who were suffering through a drought that has caused wildfires throughout south and central regions of the state.

Grower Terri Cantwell of Bates Sons and Daughters in Lake Placid says the mid-June rain came just in time. The rain "helped tremendously, it made all the difference," Cantwell says. "We were close to being in trouble ... but it brought us out of that. We are very happy."

With thunder clapping in the background, grower Jim Pugh of American Farms LLC in Naples told E-Brief editors: "We are finally getting our typical afternoon showers." While water levels still are at a "historic low" Pugh says he's hopeful growers "will see an upsurge in late spring and early summer planting."

Water-use restrictions in the state also could loosen soon, says Ben Bolusky, executive vice president of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). 

"The South Florida Water Management District is talking about letting up on some of the phase three irrigation restrictions," which would let growers water more frequently, he says. "Hopefully, that should happen very shortly."

Tropical Storm Barry, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall in the Tampa Bay area before traveling northeast across Florida as a tropical depression. The storm knocked out power to thousands of South Florida customers.

--Kate Penn
kpenn@safnow.org

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