It's been a dry, dusty summer, and Lilac Ridge Farm co-owner Amanda Ellis-Thurber has had to take some unusual measures to combat the distressing weather.
"With our farm stand on a dirt road and lack of water, everything became quite dusty, which was disheartening," she says. "You know it's bad when I have to water the road just to keep the dust down; these aren't normal conditions at all."
Not only that, but Lilac Ridge Farm is on Ames Hill Road, which has been worked on all summer.
"Being on a well-traveled dirt road under construction, the dust is intense," Ellis-Thurber says.
Ellis-Thurber runs the West Brattleboro 40-cow dairy and 8-acre vegetable and flower farm with her husband, Ross, and the couple is anticipating more dry weather stress for both crops and livestock - and the farmers themselves.
"In terms of the drought, yes, the results are problematic, for sure," she says. "We have had to use emergency measures for watering some crops, especially our strawberries, because stress this year will effect their growth next year.
"We do not have irrigation for our vegetable crops, and everything has been stressed, though the plants seem to be resilient, and heat-loving crops like tomatoes are incredibly tasty this year."
Not only have fruit crops been strained this year, but dairy farmers are also increasingly being forced to haul water and buy feed as those resources are stressed.
"The most worrying part of the drought is on our pastures and hayfields," Ellis-Thurber says. "We completely depend on water for regrowth. Since we are an organic dairy, grazing is the primary way we feed our cows in the spring, summer, and fall months.
"Sadly, the drought and lack of regrowth have meant that we are feeding hay earlier than usual, which will deplete volume of feed we have for the winter - meaning we will likely have to buy in some hay, which is economically stressful."
Great berries, small apples
The Ellis-Thurbers are not alone in coping with the current drought conditions affecting Windham County.
Todd Harlow, proprietor of Harlow's Sugarhouse in Putney, says blueberry season was good because of the spring rain before the drought.
"The apples are a little bit smaller because of the drought, and we have very few because of rain during the bloom, because pollination was down," he says.
"Usually when you have a dry fall you tend to have low sap yield in the spring because the trees don't absorb the water they need in the fall, so I'm worried about having not enough sap [in 2026]. Maple syrup is probably our biggest crop."
At Scott Farm in Dummerston, Orchardist Erin Robinson has been concerned about fruit size and stress.
"We're in harvest now and I'm pleased with the fruit size, but they're still under stress," she says. "This is the point in the year where the vegetive buds are forming to produce [next] year's fruit, it's called 'differentiating.'
"So, if they're under stress, we don't know how it will affect next year's crop," Robinson says.
"I don't know if they'll be more vulnerable to winter kill or what, but this week looks promising. I'll believe it when I see it, but it looks like we're doing to get some steady rain, which will be a welcome blessing."
Even the fall foliage has been affected, and the dry conditions could prove to start peak color sooner and shorten the leaf-peeping season measurably, farmers and UVM Extension experts have noted.
Driest since 1894
Despite this being the 39th wettest year to date in Vermont, with an increase of almost 3 inches of rainfall to normal, July was the 12th driest month on record for the past 131 years and August was the 9th driest, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System.
"All of Vermont is currently in at least moderate drought with a small pocket of extreme drought along the Connecticut River on Orange and Windsor counties," says the U.S. Drought Monitor, a national drought mapping project out of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Some areas have seen about 8 inches less rain than usual in the last four months. Moisture in the soil is 60-80% below average for this point in September, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Without any major tropical rain on the horizon, an occasional rain shower or thunderstorm won't be enough to reverse current conditions, although 2.3 inches of rain is predicted for this week.
As of Sept. 18, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported that 78% of Vermont is in severe drought, with 1% of Vermont in extreme drought.
"The effects of drought have become very noticeable in the last three to four weeks and include stunted crops, dry soils, brown lawns, a high wildfire danger, and record low streamflow and groundwater levels," writes State Climatologist Dr. Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, geography professor at the University of Vermont and chair of the Vermont Drought Task Force.
Dupigny-Giroux says there are two types of drought in the state now, a long-term drought that began in the fall of 2024 and a flash drought that began about June 4. Some stream water gauges and groundwater wells are at the lowest levels ever seen in Vermont since record keeping began 109 years ago, the climatologist says.
Trees and shrubs affected
Ann Hazelrigg, a University of Vermont Extension plant pathologist and director of the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic, writes that warm and dry conditions have dominated since early June.
According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, the driest areas of the region have received only 25% to 75% of normal precipitation. At the same time, temperatures since June 1 have ranged from 2 to 4 degrees F above normal. Depleted soil moisture and high evaporative demand, caused by higher temperatures, have continued to dry out vegetation and increased the risk of fires, she says.
"The lack of rain coupled with high temperatures increases the likelihood of severe stress in shrubs, trees, and other plants," Hazelrigg writes. "Without water, plants can't readily absorb and transport minerals or nutrients. Metabolic processes, including photosynthesis, decrease or stop as drought conditions become severe. During a drought, fine root hairs die, further reducing the capacity of trees and other plants to absorb water."
Hazelrigg says acute drought stress symptoms in trees and shrubs include wilting, marginal leaf scorch, or dieback along the leaf edges, yellowing or browning leaves, and premature leaf drop. Symptoms might also include tip dieback in evergreens and, in some cases, dead branches.
"I have noticed some trees in the area are dropping leaves as if it were late October," she says, adding drought conditions may impact fall foliage colors also.
"The extent of the damage may depend on additional factors, such as the site, genus of the tree or shrub, soil type, amount of soil compaction, age of plant, exposure, and previous stress issues such as damage from pests and diseases," Hazelrigg says, noting lack of soil moisture can be exacerbated by high temperatures, strong winds, exposure, soil, and insects.
To mitigate drought impacts to trees and shrubs, Hazelrigg advocates watering deeply and slowly to drippiness weekly when dry and hot and avoiding oversaturating and fertilizing.
Data wanted
With drought conditions existing throughout Vermont, state officials are asking Vermonters to report what they're experiencing.
Impacts to report include those to wells and water supplies running out or tasting differently. Also to be reported are crop damage and other farm losses, low water levels in lakes, rivers, and recreational areas, and health issues related to water quality or availability.
Vermonters, the state says, "should also consider voluntary water conservation efforts at home."
The Drought Task Force recommends the following steps to reduce water consumption at home:
• Avoid washing your car or watering your lawn/garden.
• Repair leaking faucets, pipes, or other fixtures as soon as possible.
• Run the dishwasher/laundry machine with full loads.
• Consider installing simple, cost-effective tools that decrease household water consumption. Aerators for kitchen sink faucets cost roughly $10–$15 and are simple to install and low-flow shower heads can make a drastic difference in water consumption.
Reporting drought impacts, says the state, helps assess drought severity, understand where Vermonters may need assistance, and develop plans to address drought impacts.
Drought reporting is also vital to the accurate depiction of drought severity on the U.S. Drought Monitor, which triggers key U.S. Department of Agriculture and Internal Revenue Service programming that can help support Vermonters who may be experiencing significant impacts.
The Drought Task Force, comprised of state, federal and other institutional partners, is meeting regularly to monitor the situation, promote public awareness of the severity of these dry conditions, and develop recommendations for any state response.
Learn more about reporting drought impacts at ANR's Drought Resources web page or visit drought.vermont.gov, as well as the Conditions Monitoring Observer Reports.
How's your well?
If your private well or spring is low or dry, submit a drought report to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) using the online Drought Reporter.
If your home's private well or spring is low or dry, visit the Health Department's Drought and Your Well web page for short- and longterm solutions or call the Health Department at 802-489-7339.
If supplemental drilling is needed, DEC can provide permitting guidance and may be able to provide loans through the Onsite Loan Program that can help pay for a new well.
The Health Department recommends testing your private well or spring if you notice changes in your water, like cloudiness, color, or smell.
You can order the Vermont Homeowner Testing Package online or call 800-660-9997.
Help for farmers
If your farm is experiencing drought impacts, contact the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Food Markets to report dry fields, water supply issues, shortage of winter feed, crop loss or other impacts, call 802-828-2430 or email AGR.Helpdesk@vermont.gov.
If farms are experiencing critical water shortages, farmers can seek help hauling water. If the drought persists, financial assistance may be available from USDA.
Use the Conditions Monitoring Observer Reports tool to report all photos and impacts of wild land fires, dry lakes, ponds and streams, stressed vegetation, irrigation, wastewater, recreation challenges, and algae blooms. These reports assist farmers with obtaining USDA assistance and other technical assistance programs that rely on widespread reporting of drought impacts.
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.