Elsewhere more normal spring with variability

EAST EARL, Pa. — The 2026 growing season is opening with a stark divide across the eastern half of the nation. Nationally, more than half of the U.S. is in drought, but the most severe and widespread conditions are concentrated in the Southeast.

As disaster declarations expand, the response has extended beyond policy. Leaders with the Georgia Farm Bureau recently gathered to pray for rain alongside farmers facing drought and wildfires. Southeast farmers are doing all they can and looking to the sky for relief.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 97% of the Southeast is in drought (D1–D4), with 82% in severe to exceptional drought (D2–D4), stating this is the largest and most widespread drought recorded in the region since monitoring began in 2000.

Southeast precipitation deficits date back to last summer, totaling 8 to 16 inches or more in many areas, leaving soils depleted and stored feed inventories drawn down more than normal heading into spring.

Georgia dairy farmers we spoke with say the intensity and breadth of this drought are beginning to resemble 2007, one of the worst drought years in the region’s history. While conditions have not yet fully matched that benchmark everywhere, the trajectory and timing are getting close, with forage deficits now a major concern.

Across Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the Carolinas, cool-season forages like ryegrass — a cornerstone of spring feed supply — have come up far short of normal. For many dairies, the season has already turned from building feed inventory to stretching it.

At Moon Dairy near Buckhead, Georgia, for example, they report first cutting yielded just 50 to 60% of normal baleage. Not far from away at W-Dairy, ryegrass chopping just wrapped up under challenging conditions compounded by abnormally low humidity.

Producers describe thin stands, uneven growth and crops that matured too quickly under stress, cutting earlier than planned to salvage what they can.

Drought-stressed forage is also presenting nitrate concerns, requiring testing, blending and tighter ration management at a time when inventories are already short.

Pasture has not filled the gap for dairy or their beef neighbors. Growth has stalled, pushing producers further into stored feed already drawn down earlier than normal last fall. That early drawdown, followed by a weak spring, is tightening supplies quickly across the region. Some operations report being out of hay already, while others are counting the weeks.

Without meaningful precipitation soon, some dairies say they could run out of forage by mid-summer.

Planting progress across the Southeast reflects a shift from early momentum to growing caution. Warm, dry conditions initially allowed farmers to move quickly, but as drought intensified, planting decisions have become more deliberate. In harder-hit areas like Georgia, some producers are pausing or delaying planting, weighing whether to seed into dry soils or wait for moisture.

Where planting continues, it is often going into dry topsoil with limited subsoil reserves, raising concerns about uneven emergence — a key risk for dairy operations relying on corn silage later in the year.

In parts of southern Georgia, drought has also fueled wildfire activity, resulting in losses of homes and businesses as dry vegetation, combined with debris left from previous hurricanes, has accelerated fire spread across rural areas. While widespread livestock losses have not been reported, the fires have disrupted operations, damaged infrastructure and added risk in an already strained system.

Disaster declarations

The severity of conditions is reflected in state and federal response. More than 140 counties in Georgia alone have been designated disaster areas, opening access to assistance through the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, payments are triggered based on drought intensity and duration, helping offset the cost of purchased feed as grazing fails. Additional programs, including the Emergency Livestock Relief Program and ELAP, can provide support for feed, transportation and water costs.

These tools are critical for cash flow, but they do not change the conditions in the field. A widespread drought lowers regional inventory, making feeding adjustments more difficult.

As one dairyman put it, “We’re all just praying for rain.”

Rain would bring narrow window

Some areas of Georgia and the Southeast report scattered rainfall around April 28, offering short-term relief. If additional moisture follows, producers would have a narrow window to act.

Fertility applications can push forage regrowth, particularly for second cutting. Some dairy operations are preparing to plant emergency summer annuals like sorghum-sudan or millet to rebuild feed supplies within weeks rather than months.

At the same time, nitrate testing will be critical as drought-stressed crops respond to moisture. Corn fields will need close evaluation. Rain can improve emergence, but uneven stands may shift acres into forage production. Dryland corn plantings are emerging under irrigation, but even under the best-case scenario, spring forage losses are already locked into the feed equation.

Farther north, conditions are more normal to variable overall. The broader weather setup, influenced by La Niña, has steered storm systems away from the Southeast while delivering more variability into the Northeast.

Elsewhere, more normal, variable

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York have been in abnormally dry (D0) to moderate drought (D1), with some localized severe (D2) pockets. Unlike the Southeast, coverage is scattered and shifting, not widespread.

Timely April rains have helped stabilize soil moisture, improving forage growth and supporting planting. Alfalfa and grasses are coming out of dormancy in good condition, and first cutting is expected to be near normal timing.

Pasture is beginning to reduce feeding pressure, and corn planting is near average pace. Conditions are not ideal everywhere, but the region remains in a “crop to be made” position, according to USDA Crop Progress reports.

Looking more nationally toward the Corn Belt, according to USDA NASS, planting progress across the Midwest is near normal overall, though slower in wetter areas such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, where some areas experienced flooding that has slowed fieldwork.

Acreage trends add another layer for dairy farmers watching feed costs. USDA’s Prospective Plantings report indicates slightly fewer corn acres and more soybean acres expected in 2026, a shift that could tighten silage availability in some dairy-heavy regions if realized. At the same time, recent USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates reports point to ample grain stocks and relatively comfortable feed supplies heading into the new crop year, helping keep a lid on feed price pressure — at least for now.

Supporting farms through drought

Hay donations and coordinated transport, often organized through groups like the Georgia Farm Bureau, county extension offices and cattlemen’s associations, are among the fastest ways to get feed to farms that have already run out. Some of these same networks, along with local 4-H chapters, are also coordinating wildfire relief supply drives in southern Georgia.

Farm organizations and local ag groups are helping connect producers to relief funds or direct assistance. Consumers are being urged to buy local dairy and beef products to keep dollars moving through farm communities under pressure.

But the bottom line is neighbors helping neighbors — sharing pasture where available, trading forage and helping with logistics. In many cases, local coordination is moving faster than formal relief. In a year like this, those local efforts can make the biggest difference at the most critical time.