A dry winter left little snow across southwest Colorado this year, raising concerns about water availability heading into the growing season.
But for some dryland farmers near Dove Creek, conditions are more nuanced.
Kyle Carhart farms about 3,000 acres of dryland crops, including wheat, pinto beans, and sunflowers. He says soil moisture levels are holding up better than expected—at least for now.
“Soil moisture currently is looking pretty all right,” Carhart said.
That moisture could give crops an early advantage, but recent hot and windy conditions are already pulling water out of the soil.
“You can’t imagine how much that dries out this land. It’s so detrimental,” he said.
For dryland farmers, timing is critical. Seeds need warm soil to germinate, but waiting too long to plant can mean losing valuable moisture.
Different crops also respond differently to early-season conditions. Wheat, for example, can develop deeper root systems, while crops like beans rely more on moisture closer to the surface.
This year, weather isn’t the only challenge.
Carhart says deer and elk have stayed closer to farmland through the winter, increasing pressure on crops as they begin to emerge.
“They have a buffet out there,” he said.
At the same time, farmers are facing rising costs for fuel, fertilizer, and equipment—making an already uncertain season even more difficult to plan.
“Everything is so expensive… you cannot afford to mess up,” Carhart said.
Dryland farming can be more adaptable to changing water conditions than irrigated agriculture, but it still depends heavily on timely precipitation.
For now, Carhart says the coming weeks will be critical.
“You’re definitely rolling the dice.”
