Farmers in crisis as drought makes once-reliable crops impossible to sell: 'It's practically inedible'

A severe drought is pushing one farmer in Victoria, Australia, to bury a certain green vegetable.

What's happening?

Ben Pohlner of Volcano Produce in Illowa told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that his water-stressed broccoli is too acrid to eat.

"We still get the nice broccoli or cauliflower head on them, but it's practically inedible. It's too bitter to eat," he said. "We just plow it back into the ground. We can't afford to ruin our reputation over a few crops."

The chemical-free farm has not been able to sell the brassica since September. Every two weeks, 10,000 to 20,000 new broccoli plants spring up. Pohlner is losing AU$40,000 to AU$50,000 per crop.

Why is this important?

The organic farm is taking the unfortunate hit on the broccoli because it features 70 fruits and vegetables and relies on strawberries — one of the crops that has done well with carrots, beetroots, garlic, chillies, and eggplants.

"Normally with the brassicas we have plenty of moisture deep down in the soil, but this year we had a really dry winter," Pohlner told the ABC, noting they needed 100 milliliters of rain just to get those crops established. "We've had to irrigate all the way through, which is hard for us because we don't have sufficient [access to water for] a large volume of plants."

Other small farms are experiencing the same problem. Solutions include rationing water and not planting. A potato planter in Newlyn, Kain Richardson, said the district had lost AU$2 million to AU$3 million because of the drought.

What's being done about inedible crops and lower yields?

Sometimes, such issues cause produce supplies to drop and prices to rise, but the ABC reported that large-scale suppliers equipped with better irrigation infrastructure were getting through the drought and that the outlook for potatoes was good, too.

Because increasingly frequent and severe droughts are the result of rising global temperatures caused primarily by the burning of dirty energy sources, we can all help mitigate the issue by turning to clean sources of energy such as solar and wind. Take public transportation, for example, or upgrade to electric appliances.

It's also important to get the most out of the resources that go into growing crops. Check out this TCD guide to shop smarter at the grocery store, keep your food fresh longer, and do more with leftovers. All these steps will help you save money, too.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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